AN 


HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT 


OF 


THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 


OF 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Being  a  Sermon  preached  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
December  12,  1850, 


By  WILLIAM  EDWARD  SCHENCK. 

PASTOR  OF  THAT  (MIURCH. 


Princrtou,  33".  3 : 


PRrXTKll     BY     .TO  UN     T.      KORIXSOX. 


1850. 


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PRINCETON.  N.  J. 


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An  historical  account 
First  Pr^^^chvfpri 


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Of  thi 

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AN 


HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT 


OP 


THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 


OP 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Being  a  Sermon  preached  on  Tiianksgivino  DAt, 
December  12,  1S50, 

/ 
^  By  WILLIAM  EDWARD  SCIIENCK, 

TASTOR  OF  THAT  (JHURCH. 


pnncctoti,  2C.  3: 


rCIMTED    EY    JOHN    T.     r.03IN33N. 


18511. 


Princbton,  Dec  13th,  1850. 
Rbv.  and  Dear  Sir: — At  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Princeton,  it  was  resolved,  that  the  undersigned  be  a  comuiittee 
to  request  of  you  for  publication,  a  copy  of  your  excellent  and  interesting  dis- 
course, delivered  on  the  morning  of  Thanksgiving  Day. 

Very  respectfully  and  ti-uly  yours, 

JAMES  S.  GREEN,  ^ 

J.  S.  SCHANCK,       \Commintt. 

EMLEY  OLDEN,       j 


Primcbton,  Dmc.  14th,  1860. 
Gentlkmkn  :  — Your  request  on  behalf  of  the  congregation  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  has  been  received,  and  a  copy  of  the  discourse  referred  to  ie 
sent  herewith.  Some  parts  of  it,  for  want  of  time,  were  omitted  in  the  delivery. 
J  send  it  as  first  written.  A  number  of  matters  connected  with  the  subject, 
which  could  not  be  appropriately  introduced  into  the  body  of  the  discourse,  havt 
«Ido  been  added  as  marginal  notes. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully. 

Your  Friend  and  Pastor, 
WILLIAM  EDWARD  SCHENCK. 


TO  THBT 

CONGREGATION  OF  THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCE 

OP  PRINCETON^ 
THIS  SERMON,   PUBLISHED  AT  THEIR  REQUEST^ 

I  IS  AFFECTIONATELY  OFFERED  BY  THEIR   PASTOR,. 

WITH   AN   HUMBLE  HOPB 
THAT  IT  MAY  INCREASE  THEIR  LOVE  TO  THE  CHURCB 
OF  THEIR  FATHEESy 

AND  THUS  TEKD  TO   FIT    THEM   FOR  JOINING  AT  LAST  THff 
CHURCH  OP   THE  FIRST  LORN   ABOVE. 


I 


SERMON. 


Deut.  8.  2. — Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  which  the  Lord 

thy  God  led  thee. 

The  histories  of  the  past  are  lessons  of  divine  instruc- 
tion. If  God  doeth  all  things  according  to  the  counsel 
of  his  own  will,  then  all  the  progress  of  events  must 
be  full  of  intimations  of  what  his  will  has  been.  And 
as  God  is  unchangeable,  we  may  expect  to  see  the  same 
;attributes,  and  the  same  general  methods  of  dealing 
witli  his  creatures,  manifested  in  the  future.  Thus  in  a 
higher  than  any  poetical  sense^  "coming  events  cast 
their  shadows  before,"  and  the  things  that  have  been, 
are  in  an  important  degree  indicative  of  the  things  that 
«hall  be.  Could  we  make  the  experience  of  those  who 
went  before  us  our  oum,  without  waiting  to  be  driven 
to  its  acquisition  by  the  same  painful  process  by  which 
they  reached  it;  how  many  bitter  disappointments 
should  we  be  spared.  Upon  what  a  vantage-ground 
should  we  be  placed,  from  which  to  press  forward  along 
the  pathway  of  life.  How  many  costly,  fatiguing,  un- 
profitable, and  dangerous  experiments  would  we  refrain 
from  making.  Had  Israel  obeyed  the  injunction  of  the 
text,  how  many  of  those  chastisements  from  God,  and 
inflictions  by  man ;  how  many  of  those  sins  and  sorrows, 
which  are  now  recorded  on  every  page  of  their  subse- 
quent history,  had  they  never  known. 

But  another  remark  more  pertinent  to  the  present 


6 

occasion  is  this — ^that  forgetfulness  of  the  past  is  hoih  a 
manifestation  and  a  cause  of  present  iiigratitude.  So  in- 
timately connected  are  present  mercies  with  those  which 
went  before,  that  we  cannot  suitably  comprehend  the 
value  of  the  last  links  of  the  immeasurable  chain, 
without  some  consideration  of  those  remoter  ones, 
through  a  dependence  on  which,  these  nearer  links 
have  been  let  down  from  heaven.  Israel  could  not 
suitably  thank  God  in  after  years  for  the  peaceful  rest 
of  the  land  that  flowed  with  milk  and  honey,  without 
a  recollection  of  the  bitterness  of  the  Egyptian  bondage; 
of  the  perilous  passage  through  the  Red  Sea ;  of  the 
quails  and  the  m^nna  divinely  provided  for  them ;  of 
the  gushing  waters  flowing  from  the  smitten  rock;  of 
the  brazen  serpent  with  its  healing  power  set  up  be- 
fore them ;  of  the  kings  of  Bashan  and  of  Heshbon 
against  whom  God  fought  for  them.  And  this  was 
doubtless  one  of  many  reasons,  why  God  inspired 
Moses  to  write  out  so  full  and  so  minute  a  record  of  the 
past,  and  why  he  so  explicitly  enjoined  it  on  his  people 
Israel,  to  "  rememher  all  the  uny  wJiich  the  Lord  their  God 
had  led  themr 

We  would  humbly  hope,  that  as  the  Israelites  might 
expect  to  be  benefitted  by  a  constant  recollection  of 
their  past  history,  so  we  may  not  be  unprofited  by  a 
review  of  that  train  of  providential  occurrences,  through 
which  we  have  come,  as  a  church,  to  the  enjoyment  of 
the  manifold  blessings  for  which,  in  part,  we  are  to  day 
assembled  to  offer  our  united  thanksgivings.  I  propose, 
then,  on  this  occasion,  to  offer  to  you  some  account  of 
ilie   origin   and   earlier  history  of  this  church^     And   I 

*  N.  B.    As  the  writer  of  this  discoiu'se  has  it  in  view,  if  the  Lord  will,  t<> 
revise  and  extend  this  historical  account  at  a  future  day,  be  will  he  truly  thankful 


shall  endeavour  so  to  do  this,  as  to  excite  only  such 
emotions  as  are  accordant  with  the  purpose  for  which 
we  are  assembled. 

Neither  this  church  or  this  town  can  look  back  to  so 
remote  an  origin  as  can  many  others  in  our  state.  This 
is  easily  accounted  for.  Until  a  little  after  the  begin- 
ning of  the  last  century*  what  is  now  the  one  State  of 
New  Jersey,  was  two  distinct  provinces,  owned  by  dif- 
ferent proprietors,  and  under  different  colonial  govern- 
ments. Into  East  Jersey,  emigration  flowed  through 
the  towns  nearest  to  the  waters  of  New  York  :  into 
West  Jersey,  through  the  ports  on  the  Delaware.  Thus 
it  happened  that  this  region  being  near  the  line  which 
separated  the  two  provinces,  was  to  both  of  them  a 
frontier  region,  and  remained  an  unbroken  wilderness 
until  these  two  tides  of  emigration  met.  This  was  of 
course  long  after  many  of  those  more  accessible  places 
had  become  flourishing  villages,  and  the  institutions  of 
religion  had  been  thoroughly  established  therein.  Only 
one  hundred  and  seventy-three  years  ago,  a  traveller 
who  passed  over  the  spot  on  which  Princeton  now 
stands,  in  passing  across  from  where  New  Brunswick 
to  where  Trenton  is  now  built,  describes  the  country  as 
a  continuous  forest  and  says  that  he  saw  not  one  tame 
animal  between  the  Raritan  and  the  Delaware.  He 
was  obliged  to  secure  an  Indian  guide  who  led  him  by 
an  obscure  footpath  through  the  forest.f  The  first  au- 
thentic trace  of  a  settler  in  this  vicinity  is,  that  in  the 
year  1G85  one  Dr.  Greenland  owned  a  plantation  on  the 

to  any  who  may  communicate  any  historical  details,  or  transmit  any  old  docu- 
ments of  interest  relating  to  the  history  of  Princeton,  its  institutions,  or  former 
inhabitants. 

*  The  two  provinces  were  finally  united  April  loth,  1702. 

f  The  name  of  this  traveller  was  William  Edmundson.  See  Watson's  Annals  of 
Philadelphia,  page  91.  note,  referred  to  in  Whitehead's  East  Jersey,  page  95. 


Millstone  just  without  the  limits  of  the  present  Bor^ 
ough.*  In  the  year  1690  three  or  four  additional  settlers 
had  purchased  small  tracts,  and  had  begun  to  clear 
away  the  ancient  forest.  But  in  the  year  1693,  the 
celebrated  William  Penn,  the  founder  of  the  common- 
wealth of  Pennsylvania,  and  who  was  also  a  large 
owner  of  New  Jersey  soil,  purchased  two  large  tracts 
of  land,  comprehending  with  the  exceptions  above 
alluded  to,  the  whole  country  for  a  circle  of  many  miles 
around  the  spot  where  we  are  met  to-day -f  By  his 
interest  and  influence  a  number  of  Quaker  families  were 
attracted  hither.  These  were  highly  intelligent  and 
industrious  persons,  who  had  originally  come  from 
England,  having  left  their  native  country  chiefly  be- 
cause of  the  annoyances  and  oppressions  to  which  they 
were  there  exposed  because  of  their  religious  persuasion.  J 
They  built  not  long  after,  probably  not  far  from  the  year 
1700,  the  Friends'  Meeting-house  at  Stony  Brook.  In 
the  venerable  graveyard  close  by  it,  through  many 
succeeding  years,  were  interred  the  first  settlers  and 
early  citizens  of  Princeton  of  all  denominations,  no 
other  public  place  of  burial  being  then  opened  any 
where   in  the  vicinity.     The   descendants  of  some  of 

*  There  is  in  tlie  Library  of  the  N.  J.  Historical  Society  an  ancient  map  of 
the  plantations  en  the  Raritan,  Millstone,  and  othor  rivers.  The  plantation  of 
Dr.  Greenland  is  there  marked  down,  and  seems  to  have  occupied  the  present 
farm  of  Capt  Lavender  or  its  vicinity.     The  date  of  this  map  is  1685. 

f  The  tract  on  the  north  side  of  Stony  Brook  contained  5500  acres ;  that  on 
the  south  side  6500.  This  last  was  sold  entire  in  1737  to  Garret  Schcnck  (the 
great-great-grand-father  of  the  writer)  and  John  Kovenhoven,  both  of  Monmouth 
Co.  A  portion  of  it  is  still  called  from  it  first  owner,  Penn's  Neck.  The  original 
Penn  patent  for  this  tract  is  still  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  William  Smith  Schenck 
of  Penn's  Neck. 

X  The  chief  among  these  Quaker  settlers  were  Benjnmin  Clarke,  (who  settled 
at  Perth  Amboy  in  1683  ;  and  thence  came  to  Stony  Biook  in  1090 ;)  John  Hornor, 
Richard  Stockton,  John  Olden,  and  Joseph  Worth.  Except  Claike,  they  all 
settled  for  a  while  at  Piscataway,  whence  they  all  came  hither  at  tl;e  same  time, 
1696.  One  Daniel  Brimson,  a  son-in-law  of  Dr.  Greenland,  was  living  in  thia 
yicinity  before  1690.  A  copy  of  his  will  is  in  the  writer's  possession,  dated  1696, 
in  which  he  leaves  his  plantation  to  his  son,  Barefoot  Brimson. 


these  Quaker  settlers  still  dwell  numsrously  around  us, 
and  some  of  them  still  cultivate  the  very  same  fields 
from  which  their  ancestors  more  than  an  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  cleared  off  the  primitive  forest. 

There  were  however  others  besides  the  Quakers  who 
came  in  about  the  same  time.  As  it  is  true  of  the  early 
history  of  our  entire  country,  so  is  it  in  particular  true 
of  that  especial  time  in  which  this  portion  of  New  Jer- 
sey received  the  largest  accessions  to  the  number  of  in- 
habitants, and  in  which  the  settlement  of  this  town  and 
its  vicinity  was  commenced,  that  God  seemed  so  to  order 
events  in  the  old  world  as  to  drive  hither  its  purest  re- 
ligion and  its  stoutest  hearts.  We  have  said  that  the 
forest  here  began  to  hoar  the  sound  of  the  woodman's 
axe  about  the  year  1G90.  It  was  in  1G85,  only  five 
years  before,  that  the  Edict  of  Nantes  was  revoked,  and 
thousands  of  French  Huguenots,  were  in  consequence 
obliged  to  fly  from  their  native  land.  Many  of  these 
came  direct  to  this  country.  Others  fled  to  England, 
but  meeting  many  annoyances  there  under  the  intoler- 
ant government  of  King  James  the  Second,  thence 
crossed  over  to  America.  And  although  the  mass  of 
them  settled  elsewhere,  yet  many  of  these  noble  and 
heroic  people,  found  their  way  hither  and  made  their 
homes  on  Jersey  soil. 

From  1672  to  1678  a  period  reaching  up  to  within 
twelve  years  of  the  first  settlement  of  Princeton,  the  re- 
cently wealthy  and  flourishing  country  of  the  Hollanders 
was  turned  into  a  scene  of  turmoil,  devastation,  and 
blood.  Durinu  the  fearful "  struggles  for  their  national 
existence,  put  forth  by  the  Hollanders  under  William 
Prince  of  Orange  against  the  combined  povv^er  of  France 
and  England,  the  sluices  which  kept  off  the  waters  of 


10 

the  ocean  were  tlirown  open,  large  sections  of  the  coun- 
try were  submerged,  and  the  inhabitants  reduced  from 
wealth  to  poverty.  The  whole  nation,  in  its  despera- 
tion, was  at  one  time  actually  engaged  in  framing  a 
plan  for  a  national  abandonment  of  their  country,  and 
an  united  emigration  to  some  foreign  land.*  From  the 
necessity  for  adopting  so  extreme  a  remedy  they  were 
saved  by  the  intrepidity  of  their  great  leader ;  yet  large 
numbers  actually  did  migrate  to  this  country.  Many 
of  these  also,  settled  in  New  Jersey,  bringing  with  them 
an  invincible  attachment  to  the  faith  of  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church,  identical  in  doctrine  with  our  own. 

Still  nearer  to  the  period  of  which  we  speak,  did 
James  the  Second  of  England,  during  his  bigoted  and 
intolerant  reign  of  between  three  and  four  years,  drive 
to  our  shores  a  large  and  most  valuable  portion  of  our 
early  settlers.  In  England  during  his  reign  "Baxter 
was  in  jail ;  Howe  was  in  exile ;  the  Five  Mile  Act  and 
the  Conventicle  Act  were  in  full  vigour ;  Puritan  writers 
were  compelled  to  resort  to  foreign  or  to  secret  presses ; 
Puritan  congregations  could  meet  only  by  night  or  in 
waste  places ;  and  Puritan  ministers  were  forced  to 
preach  in  the  garb  of  colliers  or  of  sailors-"f 

The  persecution  of  the  Scotch  had  already  continued 
for  a  long  course  of  years  before  James  mounted  to  the 
throne.  Its  great  object  was  to  reduce  that  Presbyte- 
rian people  under  the  Episcopal  yoke.  For  this  end  the 
most  cruel  and  tyrannical  laws  were  enacted,  laws  of 
which  theEnglish  bishops  not  only  sanctioned  the  enact- 
ment itself,  but  also  their  fierce  and  bloody  execution. 
"  It  was  for  episcopacy   (says  Hallam)   that  Scotland 

*  Grattan's  History  of  the  Netherlands,  page  224. 
f  Macaulay's  History  of  England  vol.  II.  chapter  7. 


11 

beheld  its  houses  burned,  and  its  fields  laid  waste ;  that 
the  Gospel  was  preached  in  its  wilderness  places  by 
stealth  ;  that  its  ministers  had  been  shot  in  their  pray- 
ers;  husbands  murdered  before  their  wives;  multitudes 
destroyed  by  the  executioner,  by  massacre,  in  imprison- 
ment, in  exile  and  slavery  ;  women  tied  to  stakes  on  the 
sea-shore  until  the  tide  rose  to  overflow  them."*  But 
it  was  especially  then,  only  two  or  three  years  before 
the  settlement  of  Princeton,  during  that  fearful  period 
still  spoken  of  as  "  kUliufj-time"  that  the  brutal  Claver- 
house  and  his  associates  were  making  the  hills  and  glens 
of  Scotland  to  resound  with  their  blood-hound  cries,  and 
carrying  desolation  and  butchery  to  the  fireside  of  many 
a  pious  Covenanter.  Neither  the  rich  or  poor,  the  high 
or  low,  male  or  female,  the  aged  or  the  young,  were 
safe  from  the  insatiate  fury  of  this  diabolical  persecutor. 
Multitudes  who  were  spared  a  bloody  end  were  crowded 
into  government  vessels  which  almost  rivalled  the  Afri- 
can slaveship,  and  transported  to  America. 

Just  about  this  time  the  Providence  of  God  so  ordered 
affairs,  that  by  those  interested  in  the  Province  of  East 
Jersey,  a  little  book  was  written  by  George  Scot  of  Pit- 
lochie,  and  widely  circulated  among  the  Scottish  people. 
In  this  book  it  was  set  forth,  that  whilst  the  whole  force 
of  the  law  was  bent  to  suppress  Presbyterian  principles 
altogether,  "■  a  retreat,  where  by  law  a  toleration  is 
allowed,  doth  at  present  offer  itself  in  America,  and  is 
no  where  else  to  be  found  in  his  majesty's  dominions." 
It  is  not  wonderful  that  multitudes  of  the  persecuted 
Scotch  eagerly  embraced  this  invitation,  and  that  hence- 
forth East  Jersey  became  an  asylum  for  multitudes  who 
brought  hither  their  thorough  system  of  education,  their 

*  Hallam's  Constitutional  History,  Vol.  3,  p.  435. 


12 

unbending  principle,  and  above  all  their  pure  religion, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  then  infant  community ;  a  benefit 
that  shall  continue  to  be  felt  as  long  as  New  Jersey 
continues  to  exist. 

Accordingly  in  one  of  these  very  years  of  persecution 
we  hear  of  the  Deputy  Governor  of  East  Jersey  writing 
to  the  proprietors  in  London,  that  "  the  Scots  coming 
now  and  settling,  advance  the  province  more  than  it 
hath  been  advanced  these  ten  years."*  One  of  these 
pious  Scots,  by  name  Walton  Ker,  who  was  banished 
from  Scotland  in  1G85,  "for  his  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious adherence  to  God  and  his  truth  as  professed  by 
the  church  of  Scotland,"  came  with  many  of  his  coun- 
trymen to  Monmouth  county,  where,  chiefly  through  his 
instrumentality,  the  old  Presbyterian  congregation  of 
Freehold  was  formed  about  the  year  1692,  Under  the 
influence  of  that  church  during  the  lifetime  of  its 
founder,  extensive  revivals  occurred,  and  the  pure  truth 
of  the  gospel  and  Presbyterianism  together  took  early 
«,nd  deep  root  in  that  district  of  our  state.  "  By  which 
it  appears  (says  the  Rev.  William  Tennant  in  whose 
writings  this  fact  is  mentioned)  that  the  devil  and  his 
instruments  lost  their  aim  in  sending  him  from  home, 
where  it  is  unlikely  he  could  ever  have  been  so  service- 
able to  Christ's  kingdom  as  he  has  been  here."'|-  At 
various  times  since,  many  families  which  had  in  that 
church  imbibed  a  knowledge  of  and  a  love  for  gospel 
truth,  have  removed  from  Monmouth  county  to  this 
vicinity,  and  added  much  to  the  strength  of  this  church 
and  congregation. 

*  Letter  of  Deputy  Governor  Gawen  Lawi'ie,  found  in  Smith's  History  of  N.  J. 
page  177. 

f  Dr.  Hodge's  Constitutional  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Vol.  ii.  p,  24. 


# 


13 

Thus  did  God  in  his  wondrous  providence  prepare, 
mdjii-9t  then,  send  to  our  state  the  noblest  materials  for 
building  up  a  community  and  a  church,  which  should  be 
to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.  And  it  seems  to 
have  been  this  extraordinary  wave  of  immigration,  from 
80  many  sources  then  rolled  in  upon  New  Jersey,  which 
caused  the  rapid  and  general  settlement  of  this  central 
portion  of  the  state.  There  are  many  names  still 
among  you  which  bear  constant  testimony  that  those 
who  own  them  are  descended  from  Huguenots,  Cove- 
nanters, Hollanders  and  Turitans;  an  ancestry,  than 
which  earth  can  exhibit  none  nobler.  It  was  written 
by  one  who  has  pryed  extensively  and  accurately  into 
this  matter,  that  "  there  is  more  than  one  child  in  this 
village  (of  Princeton)  in  whose  veins  is  mingled  the 
blood  of  Puritans,  Huguenots,  English,  (Protestant) 
Irish,  and  Ge:  mans."*  Let  those  who  bear  such  namea 
and  share  such  blood,  remember  what  their  ancestor* 
endured  as  witnesses  for  the  ti^th,  and  let  them  never 
cease  to  love  that  truth  as  held  by  the  same  church 
which  those  ancestors  loved  better  than  their  own  life- 
blood. 

Although  the  first  settlement  was  made  in  the  year 
1690,  or  thereabout,  the  town  seems  to  have  attained 
to  no  very  considerable  size,  before  the  removal  of  the 
college  from  Newark  hither  in  1757.  Concerning  this 
long  interval  of  more  than  half  a  century,  no  informar- 
tion  has  been  obtained  that  is  connected  with  my  pre- 
sent subject.  So  inconsiderable  indeed  was  the  town  as 
to  size,  that  no  thought  of  erecting  a  church  or  of  main- 
taining  regular   public  worship  seems   to   have   been 

*  Dr.  II:)Jjy3  Cja3t.  Illst.  of  fas  Praabytorlan  Cburcb,  Vo!. ".  :•  71,  nolo. 


14 

entertained.  And  this  was  perhaps  the  less  necessary, 
because  Presbyterian  worship  had  been  established 
within  what  was  then  deemed  a  church-going  distance, 
both  at  Lawrenceville,  then  called  Maidenhead,  and  at 
Pennington,  then  called  HopewelL,  as  early  as  the  year 
1709.  After  this  the  church  at  Kingston  was  estab- 
lished about  the  year  1732.*  Those  of  the  church-go- 
ing population  who  were  not  Quakers,  seem  to  have 
attended  one  or  the  other  of  these  three  places  of 
worship  until  a  short  time  before  the  planting  of  the 
college  here. 

It  appears  from  the  records  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick  that  on  the  3d  day  of  September,  1751,  a 
year  and  a  half  before  it  was  determined  by  the  College 
Trustees  to  locate  the  college  in  Princeton,  an  applica- 
tion was  made  by  the  people  of  Princeton  for  preachers 
to  be  sent  to  them  by  the  Presbytery,  and  also  for  leave 
.to  erect  a  church  edifice.  As  preachers  were  asked  of 
the  Presbytery  at  the  same  time  by  the  church  at 
Kingston,  then  vacant  by  the  recent  death  of  the  Rev. 
Eleazar  Wales,  the  Presbytery  resolved  that  "the 
supplies  granted  should  be  equally  divided  between 
Kingstown  and  Princetown."  In  reference  to  the  second 
request  it  adopted  the  following  minute,  that  "the 
Presbytery  taking  into  consideration  the  case  of  Kings- 
town and  Princetown,  do  judge  it  not  expedient  that 
there  be  two  places  of  meeting  on   the    Sabbath,  but 

*  The  exact  date  of  the  forming  of  the  Kingston  congregation  cannot  now,  it 
is  probable,  be  ascertained.  The  earliest  information  the  Avriter  has  been 
able  to  obtain  on  the  subject  is,  that  the  Rev.  Eleazar  Wales,  who  was  many  years 
the  minister  at  Kingston,  was  enrolled  in  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  in  the  year 
1732.  He  was  one  of  the  members  of  that  Synod,  set  off  to  the  Presbytery  of 
New  Brunswick  at  its  formation  in  1788,  as  the  Pastor  of  Kingston  church,  and 
took  his  seat  at  the  first  meeting  of  that  Presbytery.  It  is  highly  probable, 
although  not  certain,  that  he  preached  at  Kingston  from  bis  first  entering  th» 
flynod  in  1732.     He  died  at  a  very  advanced  age,  in  1760. 


15 

do  recommend  it  to  those  that  supply  there,  thcat  they 
preach  a  lecture  at  Princetown  if  tiiey  can."=-'  It  is 
probable  that  the  Presbytery  deemed  the  place  at  that 
time  too  small  and  too  near  Kingston  to  have  a  separate 
church.  But  whatever  may  have  been  the  ground  of 
that  decision,  it  does  not  seem  to  have  satisfied  the 
Princeton  people,  for  in  May,  1752,  they  again  re- 
quested that  half  the  supplies  granted  to  Kingston,  may 
be  allowed  to  Princeton,  to  which  the  Presbytery  an- 
swered that,  "it  cannot  see  any  reason  to  alter  its 
determination  at  present."  In  the  year  ITo-j,  while 
the  college  was  in  building,  we  read  once  more  that  "  a 
motion  was  made  on  behalf  of  Princeton  for  supplies, 
and  for  liberty  to  build  a  meeting-house  there,"  and  as 
the  result  of  this  reiterated  request,  that  "  the  affair  of 
Princeton  being  considered,  the  Presbytery  do  grant 
lihertij  to  the  people  of  said  town  to  build  a  meeting- 
house, and  also  conclude  to  allow  them  supplies."  The 
Rev.  James  Davenport,  the  Rev.  Israel  Read,  and  Rev- 
Samuel  Kennedy  were  appointed  supplies  for  certain 
Sabbaths  named.f  It  is  probable  that  supplies  con- 
tinued to  be  sent  occasionally  until  the  college  hall  was 
finished  two  years  after,  although  in  what  part  of  the 
town  or  in  what  building  they  preached,  cannot  now  be 
ascertained.  These  minutes  of  the  Presbytery  show 
that  previous  to  the  location  of  the  college  here,  there 
must  have  been  a  considerable  number  of  Presbyterians 
in  the  place,  and  that  they  had  fully  determined,  before 
there  was  any  likelihood  of  the  college  being  here  loca- 
ted, on  having  a  church  edifice  and  a  regular  divine 
service  in  the  town. 

*  Records  of  New  Brunswick  Presbytery  (old  copy)  on  pages  179  .and  180. 
f  Eecords  of  New  Brunawick  Presbytery,  (new  copy)  pages  233  and  236. 


16 

As  my  present  purpose  leads  me  to  speak  of  other 
matters  only  as  they  stand  related  to  the  history  of  this 
church,  it  is  enough  to  say  here  respecting  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  college,  that  it  was  founded  in  1746,  at 
Elizabethtown,  and  committed  to  the  care  of  the  learned 
and  able  Jonathan  Dickinson,  then  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  that  town.  He  died  just  one  year 
afterward,  when  the  students  were  removed  to  Newark, 
and  placed  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Aaron  Burr,  pastor 
of  the  Newark  church,  who  became  the  second  Presi- 
dent of  the  College.  It  remained  at  Newark  just  ten 
years  without  having  as  yet  owned  any  building,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  its  Trustees  resolved  on  selecting  a 
permanent  location  where  they  might  erect  suitable 
buildings  for  its  use.  While  they  were  selecting  a 
position  for  it,  New  Brunswick  came  very  near  to  ob- 
taining its  location  there,  but  the  offers  of  its  inhabitants 
being  deemed  by  the  Trustees  not  sufficiently  liberal, 
they  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  people  of  Prince- 
ton. It  seems  to  have  been  chiefly  through  the  inter- 
vention and  offers  of  three  wealthy  and  liberal  citizens 
of  the  place,  that  its  present  site  was  finally  agreed 
upon.  These  three  persons  were  John  Stockton,  John 
Honior,  and  Ihomas  Leonard,  and  their  names  ought 
ever  to  be  held  in  honourable  remembrance  as  distin- 
guished benefactors  of  this  town  and  every  interest  that 
it  contains.'-' 

It  was  in  the  month  of  November,  1756,  when  Presi- 
dent Burr,  having  previously  relinquished  his  pastoral 
charge  in  Newark,  came  to  Princeton  with  a  body  of 

*  Bcsi  i"^  "■•■•^ri'T  certain  lands  to  the  College,  these  three  gentlemen  gave  their 
bond  fdi  £1000  on  candiLion  of  its  beirg  lo3ated  in  Princeton.  This  lend  having 
been  p:i  d  >  i  '  is  o-dcred  by  the  College  Trustees  to  be  given  v.p,  April  liJ, 
17G0,  ab  cppcars  f-jm  a  Minute  oa  tLc  Cjllcgc  Rcorce, 


17 

seventy  students,  and  took  possession  of  the  new  edifice.''' 
In  this  building  they  found  a  Hall  or  Chapel  suitably 
prepared  for  the  worship  of  God.  It  is  described  by 
President  Finley  as  "  an  elegant  Hall  of  genteel  work- 
manship, forty  feet  square,  with  a  neatly  finished  front 
gallery.  In  it  was  placed  a  small,  though  exceeding 
good  organ,  which  was  obtained  by  a  voluntary  sub- 
scription. It  was  also  ornamented  on  one  side  with 
a  portrait  of  his  late  Majesty,  (George  the  Second) 
at  full  length,  and  on  the  other  side  with  a  like  picture 
of  his  Excellency,  Governor  Belcher,  with  the  family 
arms  neatly  carved  and  gilt  above  it."f  This  Hall  with 
its  furniture  was  destroyed  by  the  soldiery  during  the 
revolution,  and  more  completely  when  the  college  was 
burned  down  in  1802.  It  was  in  this  Hall,  so  far  as 
can  now  be  learned,  that  the  first  regular  and  settled 
public  worship  of  God  was  commenced  in  Princeton. 
Although  the  Presbytery  had  in  1755  given  leave  to 
erect  a  church  building,  its  foundations  were  not  laid 
until  the  year  1762.  No  sooner  however  had  President 
Burr  and  the  students  come  to  Princeton,  than  divine 
service  began  to  be  held  every  Sabbath  in  the  College 
Hall.  This  place  of  worship  was  attended  not  only  by 
the  students,  but  by  many  of  the  families  from  the 
village  and  the  adjacent  country,  and  these  families  at 
once  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  Princeton  church.  In 
this  hall  they  rented  their  pews  at  an  annual  and  stip- 
ulated price,  as  appears  from  a  minute  of  the  College 
Trustees  in  which  "  it  is  ordered  that  the  pew-rents  in 
the  hall  for  the  past  year,  be  immediately  jwd  to  the 

*  The  workmen  commenced  digging  the  College  foundatiors  on  the  29th  day 
of  July,  1754. 

f  Extract  from  President  Finley's  account  of  the  College,  quoted  in  its  "  HIb- 
tory,  by  a  Graduate." 

2 


18 

steward  of  the  college,  and  on  failure  of  compliance  of 
any  person,  that  such  person  forfeit  his  pew."*  From 
which  it  appears  that  although  the  inhabitants  had 
evinced  a  strong  desire  to  prepare  a  place  for  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  they  had  not  yet  acquired  that  amount  of 
love  and  respect  for  it,  which  would  lead  them  to  a 
ready  and  punctual  payment  of  their  just  dues  for  hear- 
ing it  preached. 

It  was  a  blessed  event  in  the  history  not  only  of  the 
newly  established  college,  but  also  of  the  newly-formed 
congregation  that  God  was  pleased  almost  at  once  to 
grant  them  a  glorious  baptism  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  Pre- 
sident Burr  had  preached  in  the  new  College  Hall  only 
about  six  months  when  a  blessed  and  wonderful  revival 
of  religion  occurred.  Kespecting  this  revival  Ave  hap- 
pily have  the  testimony  of  several  eminent  divines  who 
were  eye  and  ear  witnesses.  Its  first  manifestation  was 
in  the  case  of  a  student  who  was  dangerously  ill,  and 
who  while  sick  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  guilt. 
His  conversation  made  an  impression  upon  others,  and 
theirs  again  upon  yet  more,  so  that  the  work  became 
almost  general  before  the  President  knew  any  thing  of 
it.  Misrepresentations  were  spread  abroad,  and  some 
of  the  students  were  called  home.  The  wicked  com- 
panions of  some  left  no  method  untried  to  recover  their 
acquaintances  to  their  former  excess  of  riot,  and  in  a 
few  instances  with  a  fatal  success.  Just  before,  the 
young  men  had  given  themselves  up  to  their  follies  and 
their  vices  more  than  was  common,  and  seemed  to  be 
filled  with  an  unusual  spirit  of  pride  and  contention,  to 
the  great  grief  of  the  worthy  President.     It  is  however 

*  Records  of  the  College  Trustees,  quoted  in  Dr.  Green's  Notes,  p.  328. 


19 

particularly  noted,  that  at  this  very  time  there  was  a 
little  praying  circle  among  the  students,  who  were 
wrestling  for  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit.  The  Rev. 
William  Tcnnent  who  was  on  the  ground,  says  that  not 
one  member  of  the  college  missed  the  heavenly  influ- 
ence, in  a  greater  or  less  degree;  that  the  whole  house 
was  a  Bochim ;  that  he  spoke  personally  with  all  the 
students  save  one,  most  of  whom  inquired  with  anxious 
solicitude  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  He  declares 
that  he  saw  in  the  college  as  astonishing  a  display  of 
God's  power  and  grace  as  he  ever  saio  or  lizard  of.  A 
sense  of  God's  holiness  was  so  impressed  on  all  hearts 
that  only  two  or  three  of  those  who  were  before  esteemed 
religious  were  not  greatly  shaken.  Those  who  were 
•convicted  behaved  as  mourners  at  the  funeral  of  a  dear 
friend.  "  I  never  saw,  (says  he,)  any  who  had  clearer 
views  of  God,  themselves,  their  duty,  their  defects,  their 
impotence  and  misery,  than  they  had  in  general.  Every 
room  liad  mourning  inhabitants,  their  studies  witnessed 
to  their  prayers.  The  work  so  far  exceeded  my  most 
•enlarged  expectations  that  I  was  lost  in  surprise,  and 
constrained  often  to  say,  '  Can  it  be  true  ?'  I  cannot 
fully  represent  the  glorious  work.  It  will  bear  j'our 
most  enlarged  apprehensions  of  a  work  of  grace. 
The  glorious  ray  reached  the  Latin  school,  and  much 
affected  the  master  and  a  number  of  the  scholars.'* 
And  then  Mr.  Tennent  distinctly  adds,  "  Nor  was  it 
'fjonfiiied  to  tJw  students  only,  some  others  were  awakened''* 
It  was  natural  however  that  his  attention  as  a  stranger 
and  a  Trustee  should  be  chiefly  occupied  with  the 
college,  and  he  has  given  us  no  further  particulars  re- 


*  Letter  of  the  Rev.  WilUam  Tennent,  printed  in  the  "Log  College,"  p. 


367. 


20 

specting  the  extent  or  depth  of  the  work  in  the  town. 
The  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  in  a  letter  written  in  Virginia 
about  the  same  time,  after  speaking  of  the  work  in  the 
college  at  Princeton,  adds  that  "  he  has  just  been  in- 
formed that  a  very  hopeful  religious  concern  spreads 
through  the  Jerseys,  especially  among  young  people." 
The  Rev.  William  Tennent  was  in  Princeton  from  Mon- 
day until   Friday  of  one  week  earnestly  engaged  in 
preaching  and  conversing  with  those  under  serious  im- 
pressions.    He  had  the  high  satisfaction  of  seeing  two 
of  his  own  sons,  then  students  of  the  college,  "  partake 
of   the    shower   of   blessing,"    and   then  went    home, 
himself  refreshed,  to  enjoy  an  almost  equal  shower  of 
blessing,  in  his  own  church  at  Freehold.     His  brother, 
the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent,  then  settled  in  Philadelphia, 
was  also  invited  to  give  assistance,  which  he  very  gladly 
did,    and   writes    "that    he    had  all   the   evidence   of 
the  reality  of  the  report  concerning  the  extraordinary 
appearance   of  the   divine   power  and  presence  there 
which  could  be  in  reason  desired."='=     Thus  early  after 
the  gospel  began  to  be  set  forth  in  this  place,  did  God 
exhibit  the  power  of  the  foolishness  of  preaching.    And 
in  this  glorious  revival  of  which  we  have  been  speaking, 
we  see  the  first  of  a  series  of  works  of  grace  in  which 
God  has  manifested  his  power  and  mercy  at  various 
times  in  this  town  and  college  down  to  the  present 
year. 

This  precious  religious  interest  had  hardly  passed 
away,  before  the  honoured  and  useful  President  Burr 
was  removed  by  death.  This  occurred  just  two  days 
before  the  first  Commencement  held  in  this  place,  1757. 

*  Preface  to  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent's  volume  of  "Sermons  on  Important  Sub- 
jects. ' 


21 

It  would  be  quite  foreign  to  our  present  purpose  to 
speak  of  him  or  either  of  the  other  presidents  except  as 
they  sustained  the  relation  of  preachers  and  spiritual 
advisers  to  this  congregation.  As  a  clergyman,  probar 
bly  no  man  at  that  time  in  New  Jersey,  was  more  be- 
loved, respected,  and  influential  than  President  Burr. 
All  accounts  concur  in  representing  that  "  in  the  pulpit 
he  shone  with  peculiar  lustre ;  that  he  was  fluent,  co- 
pious, sublime,  and  persuasive."*  During  the  season  of 
revival,  a  season  which  in  a  peculiar  degree  calls  for 
humility,  fidelity,  and  sound  judgment  in  a  minister 
of  Christ,  Mr.  Tennent  says :  "  he  never  shone  in  my 
eyes  as  he  does  now.  His  good  judgment  and  humility, 
his  zeal  and  integrity  greatly  endeared  him  to  me."f 

He  was  succeeded  by  the  illustrious  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, whom  the  world  consents  to  call  the  profoundest 
of  uninspired  theologians.  It  was  of  President  Ed- 
wards that  Dr.  Chalmers  wrote  thus :  "  Him  I  have 
long  esteemed  the  greatest  of  theologians,  combining  in 
a  degree  that  is  quite  unexampled,  the  profoundly  in- 
tellectual with  the  devotedly  spiritual  and  sacred ;  and 
realizing  in  his  own  person  a  most  rare  yet  most  beau- 
tiful harmony  between  the  simplicity  of  the  Christian 
pastor  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  all  the 
strength  and  prowess  of  a  giant  in  philosophy ;  so  as  at 
once  to  minister  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  and  with 
most  blessed  effect,  to  the  hearers  of  his  plain  congre- 
gation ;  and  yet  on  the  high  fields  of  authorship  to  have 
traversed,  in  a  way  that  none  had  ever  done  before 
him,  the  most  inaccessible  places,  and  achieved  such  a 

*  History  of  the  College,  p.  9. 

■(■  See  the  Letter  already  referred  to  in  the  "  Log  College,"  p.  369. 


22 

mastery  as  had  never  till  his  time  been  reached  over 
the  most  arduous  difficulties  of  our  science."* 

But  Edwards  came  hither,  only  that  he  might  pass 
hence  to  the  skies  ;  yet  was  it  no  ordinary  privilege  for 
the  people  and  students  of  Princeton  to  have  such  a 
preacher  and  such  a  pastor,  although  it  were  only  for 
six  weeks.  It  is  said  that  his  first  sermon  here,  which 
was  on  the  unchangeableness  of  Christ,  was  long 
remembered  in  the  place,  and  that  during  the  few 
Sabbaths  of  his  occupying  the  pulpit  of  the  College 
Hall,  he  ministered  to  the  great  acceptance  and  profit 
of  all  his  hearers.  While  he  has  left  to  America  and 
to  the  world  his  invaluable  writings  and  his  immortal 
fame,  upon  this  Town  and  College  has  especially  de- 
volved the  honorable  privilege  of  being  the  guardians 
of  his  tomb.  Let  them  see  to  it  that  it  is  carefully 
preserved  both  from  the  wear  of  time,  and  the  sacrile- 
gious hand  of  the  destroyer.  Pilgrims  from  every  part 
of  Protestant  Christendom  have  delighted  to  visit  the 
spot  where  his  remains  are  laid,  and  as  his  fame  grows 
older  and  more  venerable,  increasing  numbers  will 
delight  to  read  his  epitaph  and  meditate  there  upon  the 
splendours  of  those  intellectual  conquests  which  will 
one  day  be  universally  asknowledged  to  be  more  mag- 
nificent than  the  victories  of  a  Bonaparte,  or  even  the 
discoveries  of  a  Columbus,  f 

After  the  death  of  Edwards,  the  pulpit  of  the  College 
Hall  was  occupied  for  a  year  by  the  Rev.  Jacob  Green 
of  Hanover    (the   father    of  the   late   venerated   Dr, 

*  In  a  Letter  ttorh  Vt,  Chalmers  to  Dr.  Stebbins  of  Nortliamptoiir  daied  Mav 
20th,  1844. 

j-  President  Edwards,  his  wife,  his  son-in-law  ^though  predecessor)  Presidcn  i 
Burr,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Burr,  were  all  buned  in  the  Princeton  gravey;ud 
within  the  course  of  one  twelve-month. 


23 

Ashbel  Green,)  who  had  been  appointed  to  act  as  Vice 
President  of  the  College  until  another  President  should 
be  installed.  That  next  president  was  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Daines  of  Virginia,  who  entered  upon  his  duties  here  on 
the  2Gtli  of  July  1759.  It  is  neither  possible  at  present, 
or  accordant  with  our  immediate  object  to  enter  upon 
the  many  interesting  things  you  might  be  told  respecting 
this  illustrious  man.  There  is  however,  one  fact  to 
which  I  must  advert  for  the  encouragement  of  pious, 
praying  mothers.  President  Davies  was  a  child  of 
prayers  and  vows,  in  reference  to  which  h<j  received  the 
significant  name  of  Samuel,  and  a,t  his  birth  was  wholly 
consecrated  to  the  Lord.  From  that  time  his  mother 
was  assiduous  in  her  prayers  and  efforts,  and  at  the  age 
of  only  twelve  he  began  to  manifest  that  he  possessed 
the  life  and  power  of  true  godliness.  "  The  event 
proved  that  God  accepted  the  consecrated  boy,  took  him 
under  his  especial  care,  furnished  him  for,  and  took 
him  into  the  service  of  his  church,  prospered  his  labours 
with  remarkable  success,  and  not  only  blessed  him,  but 
made  him  a  blessing"  unto  great  multitudes. 

President  Davies  was  unquestionably  one  of  the  great- 
est pulpit  orators  our  world  has  ever  seen.  In  respect 
to  subject  matter,  a  comparison  of  their  published 
discourses  shows  that  he  was  decidedly  the  superior  of 
the  famous  Whitefield.  And  although  in  some  points 
of  artistic  declamation  he  may  have  been  inferior,  yet  in 
many  of  the  more  important  qualifications  for  a  pulpit  or- 
ator, the  judgment  of  all  Christendom  seems  to  be  reaching 
the  conclusion  that  he  was  vastly  the  superior  of  Saurin 
and  Massillon.  I  cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  in- 
troduce here  a  description  of  his  preaching,  as  written 
by    a    contemporary,   who    was    himself  no  ordinary 


24 

preacher.*  "  Whenever  he  ascended  the  sacred  desk, 
he  seemed  to  have  not  only  the  attention,  but  all  the 
various  passions  of  his  auditory  entirely  at  his  com- 
mand. And  as  his  personal  appearance  was  august  and 
venerable,  yet  benevolent  and  mild,  so  he  could  speak 
with  the  most  commanding  authority  or  melting  ten- 
derness, according  to  the  variations  of  his  subject. 
With  what  majesty  and  grandeur,  with  what  energy 
and  striking  solemnity,  with  what  powerful  and  almost 
irresistible  eloquence  would  he  illustrate  the  truths, 
and  inculcate  the  duties  of  Christianity.  Mount  Sinai 
seemed  to  thunder  from  his  lips,  when  he  denounced 
the  tremendous  curses  of  the  law,  and  sounded  the 
dreadful  alarm  to  guilty,  secure,  impenitent  sinners. 
The  solemn  scenes  of  the  last  judgment  seemed  to 
rise  in  view  when  he  arraigned,  tried,  and  convicted 
self-deceivers,  and  formal  hypocrites.  And  how  did  the 
balm  of  Gilead  distil  from  his  lips  when  he  exhibited  a 
bleeding,  dying  Saviour  to  sinful  mortals,  as  a  sovereign 
Remedy  for  the  wounded  heart  and  anguished  con- 
science. In  a  word  whatever  subject  he  undertook, 
persuasive  eloquence  dwelt  upon  his  tongue,  and  his 
andience  was  all  attention.  He  spoke  as  on  the  borders 
of  eternity,  and  as  viewing  the  glories  and  terrors  of  an 
unseen  world,  and  conveyed  the  most  grand  and  affect- 
ing ideas  of  these  important  realities."f  And  although 
nature  had  bestowed  on  him  her  choicest  gifts  of  body, 

*  Rev.  David  Bostwick  of  New  York  City.  See  preface  to  the  5th  edition  of 
Da  vies'  Sermons,  printed  in  N.  York  by  Allen  in  1792.     Vol.  1.  pages  67  and  68. 

■}•  A  gentleman  who  heard  Mr.  Davies  preach  the  sermon  found  among  his  printed 
works,  on  Luke  x :  41,  42,  **  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her,  Martha, 
Martha,  &c.,"  afterwards  told  Dr.  A.  Alexander  that  the  mere  enunciation  of  the 
text  produced  a  greater  effect  on  him  than  any  sermon  he  had  ever  heard,  so 
commanding  was  Mr.  Davies'  personal  appearance,  and  so  solemn  and  impressive 
his  utterance.  He  never  preached  without  his  written  sermon  before  him,  yet 
he  did  not  confine  himself  to  it,  but  enlarged  on  any  interesting  theme. 


25 

mind  and  manner,  a  higher  reason  for  his  wonderful 
power  and  success  may  easily  be  gathered  from  his 
private  writings.  "  To  imbibe  the  spirit  of  Christianity, 
(says  he  in  a  private  letter  to  a  friend)*  to  maintain  a 
secret  ivalk  with  God,  to  he  holy  as  he  is  holy,  this  is 
tlie  labour,  this  is  the  work.  Perhaps  once  in  three  or 
four  months,  I  preach  in  some  measure  as  I  could  wish ; 
that  is,  I  preach  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  as  if  I  were 
to  step  from  the  pulpit  to  the  supreme  tribunal.  I  feel 
my  subject.  I  melt  into  tears  or  I  shudder  with 
horror,  when  I  denounce  the  terrors  of  the  Lord.  I 
glow,  I  soar  in  sacred  exstacies,  when  the  love  of  Jesus 
is  my  theme,  and  as  Baxter  was  wont  to  express  it,  in 
lines  more  striking  to  me  than  all  the  fine  poetry  in  the 
world — 

I  preach  as  if  I  ne'er  should  preach  again, 
And  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men. 

But  alag !  I  soon  flag,  my  devotions  languish,  and  my 
zeal  cools.  It  is  really  an  afflictive  thought  that  I  serve 
so  good  a  Master  with  so  much  inconstancy  ;  but  so  it 
is,  and  my  soul  mourns  on  that  account.'*  How  does  this 
language  of  Davies  remind  us  of  the  very  similar 
declaration  of  the  apostle  Paul:  "Not  as  though  I 
had  already  attained,  either  were  already  perfect ;  but 
I  follow  after,  if  that  I  may  apprehend  that  for  which 
also  I  am  apprehended  of  Christ  Jesus." 

But  this  gifted  man  was  destined  soon  to  follow  his 
renowned  predecessor.  He  died  on  the  4th  day  of 
February  1761,  when  only  a  little  more  than  thirty-six 

*  Quoted  in  a  sermon  occasioned  by  his  death,  preached  by  Thomas  Gibbons, 
D.D.,  at  Haberdasher's-Hall,  London,  and  prefixed  to  the  edition  of  Davies'  Ser- 
mons already  spoken  of. 


26 

years  of  age,  after  having  lived  and  laboured  in  Prince- 
ton a  few  days  more  than  eighteen  months.  And  we 
may  again  say,  how  blessed  must  have  been  the  privi- 
lege enjoyed  by  the  people  of  this  town  in  common  with 
the  students,  of  sitting  even  for  that  length  of  time, 
under  the  ministry  of  such  a  man. 

As  the  early  conversion  of  President  Davies  has  been 
mentioned  for  the  encouragement  of  faithful  mothers,  so 
another  fact  may  afford  a  lofty  example  for  mourning 
parents.  When  the  corpse  of  her  son  was  laid  in  the 
coffin  in  yonder  contiguous  mansion  of  the  College  Pre- 
sidents, his  pious  and  noble-hearted  mother  stood  view- 
ing it  attentively  for  some  moments,  and  then  remark- 
ed, "  There  is  the  son  of  my  prayers  and  of  my  hopes ; 
my  only  son,  my  only  earthly  supporter ;  but  there  is 
the  will  of  God,  and  I  am  satisfied"  The  noble  mother 
was  worthy  of  so  noble  a  son.* 

The  next  President  of  the  College,  and  of  course  the 
next  regular  preacher  to  all  who  attended  in  the  Col- 
lege Hall,  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Finley.  He  was  in- 
stalled as  President  on  the  30th  day  of  September, 
1761,  the  same  year  in  which  Davies  died.  In  him  we 
have  one  of  those  remarkable  instances  in  which  the 
Spirit  of  God  begins  his  work  in  the  heart  in  the  years 
of  early  childhood,  almost  of  infancy.  He  is  said  to 
have  given  forth  indications  of  piety,  almost  as  soon  as 
he  did  of  intelligence.  At  the  tender  age  of  only  six 
years  he  voluntarily  and  firmly  decided  to  become  a 
minister  of  the  gospel,  and  from  that  time  was  distin- 

*  The  President's  house  was  finished  in  1758,  in  the  month  of  August.  Pre- 
sident Davies  was  its  first  occupant.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  of  the  four 
deceased  Presidents  who  have  lived  in  it,  Davies  is  the  only  one  who  actually 
died  in  it. 


27 

guishcd  not  only  for  the  closeness  of  his  application,  and 
an  uncommon  accuracy  and  proficiency  in  learning,  but 
also  ibr  the  immovable  honesty  of  his  moral  and  reli- 
gious principles.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  came  to 
America  when  in  his  nineteenth  year. 

It  was  durinf^  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Finley  that  the 
first  church  edifice  was  erected  in  Princeton,  upon  the 
same  site  occupied  by  the  house  in  which  we  are  now 
assembled.'''  We  have  already  seen  that  in  the  year 
1755,  after  a  second  application  to  that  body,  the  Pres- 
bytery had  given  leave  to  erect  such  a  building,  as  it 
seemed  to  be  ardently  desired  by  the  citizens  of  the 
place.  It  is  probable  that  the  college  also  now  desired 
it  as  earnestly  as  did  the  citizens,  inasmuch  as  the 
crowds  which  began  to  resort  to  the  annual  commence- 
ment could  no  longer  be  contained  in  the  College  Chapel 
where  the  commencement  services  had  heretofore  been 
held.  A  long  and  tedious  course  of  negotiation  was 
therefore  entered  upon  between  the  college  corporation 
and  the  congregation,  as  to  the  site  to  be  occupied,  the 
kind  of  building  to  be  erected,  the  relative  proportions 
of  the  expense  which  each  should  bear,  and  the  tenure 
by  which  the  property  should  be  held.  The  result  of 
these  negotiations  was,  that  in  April,  1762,  about  half 
of  the  College  Trustees  signed  a  paper  of  agreement^ 
which  in  September  following  was  ratified  by  the  Trus- 
tees as  a  body.  By  this  agreement  the  Trustees  of  the 
College  gave  to  the  congregation  the  lot  of  land  which 
it  has  ever  since  occupied,  to  be  theirs  so  long  as  it  was 
used  for  the  purposes  of  a  Presbyterian  church,  the  fee 
simple  continuing  however  in  the  college  corporation, 

*  Although  upon  the  same  site,  it,  as  well  as  the  second  edifice  irere  buUt  -with 
the  side  to  the  street. 


28 

until  a  new  arrangement  was  made  many  years  after- 
wards. The  Trustees  of  the  College  also  loaned  to  the 
congregation  the  sum  of  .£700,  to  aid  in  the  erection  of 
the  church,  which  sum  was  eventually  repaid  in  full. 
By  the  same  contract,  the  college  had  a  right  to  the 
exclusive  use  of  one  side  of  the  church  gallery  for  the 
students,  and  to  the  whole  house  for  three  days  at  Com- 
mencement, as  also  at  such  other  times  as  the  President 
might  desire  it  for  public  speaking.* 

The  exact  date  of  the  founding  of  that  edifice,  cannot 
now  be  ascertained,  but  it  was  certainly  between  April 
and  September  of  that  year,  (1762),  most  probably 
soon  after  the  former  month,  as  Dr.  John  WoodhuU, 
late  of  Freehold,  states  that  in  September  of  that  year, 
when  he  entered  college,  "  the  walls  of  the  church  were 
up  or  partly  up."f  Notwithstanding  the  aid  afibrded 
by  the  college,  it  cost  the  congregation  a  long  and  severe 
struggle  to  get  the  building  finished.  It  even  seems 
probable  that  they  were  at  one  time  almost  ready  to 
relinquish  the  undertaking,  for  in  September  of  the 
year  following  (1763)  a  committee  of  the  College  Trus- 
tees was  appointed,  to  arrange  with  the  congregation 
for  receiving  back  the  lot  of  ground  and  the  unfinished 
house  thereon.J  The  severity  of  this  struggle  is  also 
evident  from  the  fact  that  the  house  was  not  completed 
until  the  beginning  of  the  year  1766,  nearly  four  years 
after  the  work  was  commenced. 

During  the  building  of  the  church,  the  congregation, 
which  was  very  small,  continued  to  worship  in  the 

*  See  Dr.  Green's  Notes  on  the  College,  page  358. 

f  In  a  MS.  letter,  written  to  his  son  Rev.  George  S.  WoodhuU,  and  dated  Feb. 
11th,  1822,  less  than  two  years  before  Dr.  Woodhull's  death.  From  this  letter 
many  important  facts  are  drawn  in  the  progress  of  this  narrative. 

X  Dr.  Green's  Notes,  page  559. 


29 

College  Hall.  Its  leading  members  at  this  time,  accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Woodliull,  were  Richard  Stockton,  after- 
wards a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  Eze- 
kiel  Forman ;  Dr.  Timothy  AViggins ;  Jonathan  Baldwin ; 
Job  Stockton;  Mr.  Sergeant;  Richard  Paterson,  (father 
of  Governor  Paterson ; )  Jacob  Scudder,  at  the  Mill ;  and 
Abraham  Cruser  of  Mapleton. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  17G2,  just  after  the  erection 
of  the   church   had   been  commenced,  it  pleased  God 
again  to  pour  out  his  Holy  Spirit  with  an  uncommon 
power.     Of  this  revival,   Dr.  Woodhull,  when  he  had 
become  one  of  the  aged  fathers  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  had  witnessed  many  and  blessed  revival 
scenes,  writes  that  it  was  ike  greatest  lie  ever  saw.    Its 
power,  he  informs  us,  was  felt  not  only  in  college,  but 
throughout  the  whole  town,  and  extended  some  dis- 
tance into  the  adjacent  countrj-.     It  especially  extended 
throughout  Mapleton,  from  Scudder's  Mills  to  Kings- 
ton ;  a  considerable  number  of  families  in  that  quarter 
being  then  connected  with  the  Princeton  congregation. 
He  remarks  that  probably  not  a  member  of  the  college 
remained    unaffected,  while   many  in   the  town  were 
brought  under  deep  impressions.     This  revival  lasted 
for  about  a  year.     It  began  in  the  Freshman  class,  of 
which  Dr.  Woodhull  was  then  a   member.     "Almost 
as  soon   as   the   session    commenced,    this    class    met 
once  in  the  week  for  prayer.      One  of  the  members 
became  deeply  impressed,  and  this  affected  the  whole 
class.      The    other    classes    and    the    whole    college, 
soon  became  much  impressed.     Every  class  became  a 
praying  society,  and  the  whole  college  met  once  a  week 
for  prayer.     Societies  were  also  held  by  the  students  in 
the  town  and  in  the  country  around,  especially  at  Ma- 


30 

pleton.  There  were  two  members  of  the  Senior  Class 
who  were  considered  as  opposers  of  the  good  work  at 
first,  yet  both  of  these  were  afterwards  preachers  of  the 
gospel."  It  was  afterwai-ds  found  that  about //j't/  of  the 
students,  or  one-half  of  those  then  in  the  institution, 
had  been  hopefully  converted  and  brought  to  make  a 
profession  of  religion.  Of  this  number  a  large  propor- 
tion afterwards  devoted  themselves  to  the  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry.  What  number  was  brought  in  from 
among  the  other  portion  of  the  congregation  does  not 
appear,  but  there  is  every  probability  that  it  was  quite 
considerable.  It  was  a  very  precious  and  a  very  so- 
lemn season.* 

In  November,  1763,  just  after  this  revival,  Princeton 
received  a  visit  from  the  celebrated  George  Whitefield, 
whose  labours  were  at  that  time  arousing  the  churches 
in  Great  Britain  and  America,  and  upon  whom  the  eyes 
of  the  whole  religious  world  were  fixed.  Whitefield 
spent  some  days  in  this  town  under  the  roof  of  President 
Finley,  and  while  here  preached  several  times.  The 
particulars  respecting  his  preaching  and  the  results 
which  followed  it  are  now  unknown.  A  tradition  has 
come  down  to  us  that  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
sons  of  Princeton,  ever  after  ascribed  his  conversion  to 
Whitefield's  preaching.  Whitefield's  biographer  simply 
remarks  that  "  he  preached  several  times  with  much 
approbation  and  success"^  from  which  expression  we 
may  infer  that  something  of  the  same  blessed  power 
which  elsewhere  accompanied  his  overwhelming  elo- 
quence, was  manifested  also  in  this  place. 

*  These  facts  are  drawn  partly  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  Woodhull's,  printed  in  Dr. 
Green's  notes,  page  376,  and  partly  from  the  MS.  letter  already  referred  to. 
t  Dr.  Qimes'  Life  of  Whitefield,  page  188.     Also  page  222. 


31 

In  1700  the  college  and  congregation  were  once  more 
bereaved  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Finley,  who  died  in  July 
of  that  year,  at  Philadelphia,  whither  he  had  gone  for 
medical  advice.  The  first  part  of  President  Finley's 
ministry  had  been  spent  in  long  and  fatiguing  itinera- 
tions. He  was  a  fellow-worker  with  the  Tennents, 
Whitefield,  and  others,  in  many  of  the  ever-memorable 
revivals  of  those  days,  and  his  occasional  labours  were 
remarkably  attended  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  espe- 
cially in  several  churches  in  the  southern  part  of  this 
state.  He  is  described  hy  one  who  was  his  pupil,  as 
"  always  solemn,  sententious,  and  forcible  in  the  pulpit, 
sometimes  glowing  with  fervour,"*  He  was  remarkable 
for  sweetness  of  temper,  politeness,  and  generosity. 

From  one  thus  early  brought  to  experience  the  bles- 
sedness of  true  piety,  and  who  had  been  so  hol}^  and 
faithful  in  his  life,  we  might  have  expected  at  least  a 
peaceful  testimon}'  to  the  excellence  of  religion  when 
death  approached.  But  he  gave  far  more  than  that. 
The  glowing  fervours,  the  holy  raptures  of  his  death-bed 
surpass  all  possible  description.  He  seemed  to  be 
already  surrounded  with  the  glory  of  Heaven,  and  to  be 
in  the  enjoyment  of  its  bliss,  before  his  soul  had  sepa- 
rated from  the  body.  "  The  Lord  hath  given  me  (said 
he)  the  victor}'.  I  exult.  I  triumph.  Now  I  know  that 
it  is  impossible  that  faith  should  not  triumph  over  earth 
and  hell.  Lord  Jesus,  into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit. 
1  do  it  loith  confidence.  I  do  it  with  full  assurance.  I  know 
that  thou  wilt  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto 
thee.  Oh  that  each  of  you  (said  he  to  the  spectators  of 
the  dying  scene)  may  experience  what,  blessed  be  God, 

*  Dr.  John  Woodliull. 


32 

I  do,  when  ye  come  to  die.  And  in  his  last  moments 
he  was  not  forgetful  of  those  to  whom  he  had  so  often 
broken  the  bread  of  life.  "  Qive  my  love  (said  he)  k) 
the  people  of  Princeton,  and  tell  them  that  I  am  not 
afraid  of  death."  His  remains  were  laid  in  Philadelphia 
beside  those  of  his  intimate  friend  and  fellow-labourer, 
Gilbert  Tennent,  and  a  cenotaph  was  erected  to  his 
memory  by  the  college,  in  the  Princeton  graveyard.* 

We  have  already  said  that  the  new  church  edifice 
began  to  be  used  in  the  early  part  of  1766,  it  is  likely 
therefore  that  Dr.  Finley  was  the  first  person  who 
preached  therein,  but  it  could  have  been  only  for  a 
few  months.  After  his  death  the  Rev.  William  Ten- 
nent who  had  charge  of  the  college  for  six  months, 
doubtless  preached  also  during  that  time.  After  him,  it 
is  certain  that  the  Rev.  John  Blair,  Vice  President  and 
Professor  of  Theology,  preached  in  the  church,  in  addi- 
tion to  having  the  oversight  of  the  studies  and  the  stu- 
dents of  the  college,  until  the  installation  of  Dr.  John 
Witherspoon  as  President,  on  the  seventeenth  of  Au- 
gust, 1768.t 

When  Dr.  Witherspoon  came  to  America,  he  brought 
with  him  several  of  his  countrymen,  who  settled  in 
Princeton,  and  whose  descendants  are  still  among  us. 

*  See  a  most  impressive  toact  entitled  "  Death  of  Hume  and  Finlej"  compared." 
Written  by  Dr.  John  M.  Mason,  of  New  York,  and  published  by  the  American 
Tract  Society. 

President  Finley  had  requested  that  his  body  might  be  carried  to  Princeton 
and  borne  to  the  grave  by  students  of  the  college.  The  latter  part  of  the  request 
was  complied  with,  several  members  of  the  Senior  Class,  of  whom  Dr.  John  Wood- 
hull  was  one,  having  gone  to  Philadelphia  for  the  purpose.  But  the  weather  wa.s 
>'o  extremely  warm  that  the  body  could  not  be  carried  to  Princeton. 

f  This  is  clear  from  the  following  minute  among  the  records  of  the  college, 
dated  vSeptember,  1768,  the  next  mouth  after  Dr.  Witherspoou's  installation. 
'•Prof.  Blair,  in  conseqvience  of  his  accepting  an  invitation  from  the  people  of 
Maidenhead  and  Kingston  to  preach  for  them  on  the  Sabbath,  and  in  considera- 
tion of  the  Trustees  relinquishing  his  services  as  a  preacher  to  tJie  Trustees," 
gives  up  a  certain  portion  of  the  salary  he  had  before  received. 


Several  of  these  afterwards  became  active  and  promi- 
nent members  of  this  church.  Dr.  Witherspoon  con- 
tinued for  tlie  long  period  of  twenty-three  years  to  have 
charge  of  both  the  college  and  the  church.  The  first 
six  or  seven  of  these  years,  were  years  of  uncommon  and 
progressive  prosperity  for  Princeton,  its  college,  and  its 
church.  But  soon  the  rising  clouds  of  war  began  to  cast 
their  dark  and  gloomy  shadows  over  all  the  landscape. 
An  invading  army  entered  our  state,  and  for  some  days, 
and  probably  for  some  weeks,  previous  to  the  battle  of 
Princeton,  the  vanguard  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  army  was 
quartered  in  the  college  and  the  church,  which  were 
converted  into  barracks.  The  soldiery  who  were  sta- 
tioned here  were  a  large  part  of  them  Hessians,  and 
the  destruction  of  property  caused  by  them  was  wanton 
and  woful.  The  church  was  stripped  of  all  its  pews,  of 
its  galler}^,  and  of  whatever  else  could  be  torn  loose  for 
fuel.  A  fire-place  was  built  in  it,  and  a  chimney  carried 
up  through  its  roof*  Such  was  its  condition,  when,  on 
the  third  day  of  January  1777,  the  eventful  battle  of 
Princeton  was  fought.  In  approaching  the  town,  Gene- 
ral Washington  is  said  to  have  expected  that  both  the 
church  and  college  buildings  would  be  defended  against 
him.  He  therefore  planted  a  few  cannon  at  a  short 
distance,  and  commenced  firing  upon  them.  After  a 
few  discharges,  Capt.  James  Moore,  a  military  officer, 
and  afterwards  for  a  long  course  of  years  an  active  elder 
in  this  church,  burst  open  the  door  of  the  college  building 
and  demanded  the  surrender  of  all  within,  which  wa.^ 
at  once  yielded. f  In  the  buildings  were  found  a  num- 
l>er  of  invalid  soldiers,  but  Washington,  having  no  time 

*  See  Life  of  Dr.  AsLbel  Green,  pnge  135. 
i  See  N.  J.  Historical  Collections,  page  272. 

3 


34 

to  spare,  left  those  unable  to  travel,  on  their  parole  of 
honour,  and  hurried  on  towards  Kingston.  Both 
church  and  college  continued  however,  after  the  British 
had  abandoned  this  part  of  New  Jersey,  to  be  occupied 
by  the  American  troops  who  were  stationed  in  Princeton, 
for  some  time  under  the  command  Of  General  Putnam, 
and  continued  to  be  so  used  at  intervals  until  the  year 
1781. 

It  was   a  gloomy  prospect  which  was  spread  before 
the  eyes  of  the  congregation  when  the  storm  of  war 
was  overpast.     The  house  of  worship,  for  the  erection 
of  which  they  had  not  many  years  before,  made  long  and 
strenuous  exertions,  was  in  such  a  state  of  dilapidation 
as  to  be  quite  open  to  the  weather,  while  within  it  was 
entirely  defaced  and  destroyed.     Their  individual  means 
had   been  greatly  reduced;   at  least   three  prominent 
members  of  the  congregation  are  known  to  have  had 
their  property  destroyed  by  fire ;  while  a  large  portion 
of  them,  especially  the  farmers,  had  sustained  large  losses 
of  cattle  and  provisions  from  the  foraging  parties  of  the 
enemy,  and  from  having  British  troops  quartered  upon 
them.*     Their  numbers  too,   had  been  diminished  by 
the  changes  and  convulsions  of  the  times,  while  in  ad- 
dition to  all  this  they  had  a  debt  of  £700  still  resting 
upon  them  for  the  loan  made  to  them  by  the  College. 
During   all  this  long  period  of  nearly  eight  years  from 
1776    to  1784,   the  religious  services  must  have  been 
irregular  and   infrequent.     Dr.  Witherspoon  was  most 
of  the  time  in  attendance  at  Congress,  and  until  the 
close  of  1779,  when  Dr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith  was 

•{•  Along  with  many  of  liis  people,  Dr.  Witherspoon  himself  was  a  severe  sufiFer- 
er  by  the  marauding  of  the  enemy.  His  place  called  Tusculum,  was  visited  by 
them,  and  pillaged,  and  a  large  part  of  his  stock  destroyed  or  driven  off. 


35 

recalled  to  Princeton  from  Virginia,  there  was  no  clergy- 
man  residing  in  the  place.     Had  there  been  one,  there 
was   no   suitable  place  for  the  people  to  assemble  in, 
while  the  Church  and  College  Hall  were  both  lying  in 
a  state  of  dilapidation.     It  is  true  they  stood  not  alone 
in  their  calamity,  for  in  the  neighboring  communities  of 
New   Brunswick  and  Elizabethtown  the  Presbyterian 
churches  had  been   entirely  destroyed.     Yet  it  is  no 
wonder  that  it   was  not  until  the  8th  day  of  March 
1784,  after  the  peace  and  independence  of  the  country 
had    been  secured  by  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  and 
after  the  withdrawal  of  the  British  troops,  that  they 
met  to  devise  such  measures  as  were  needful  in  their 
case.*    They  seem  to  have  then  acted  with  much  liber- 
ality and  promptitude,  so  that  within  a  year  the  house 
was  thoroughly  repaired  and  used  once  more  for  divine 
worship.     The  congregation  must  by  this   time   have 
attained  a  considerable  size,  as   is  shown  by  the  fact, 
that  notwithstanding  all  its  losses,  54  heads  of  families 
signed  the  subscription  for  repairs,  and  that  the  j)ews, 
57  in  number,  besides  the  gallery,  were  with  only  one 
or  two  exceptions,  all  taken  immediately  after  the  re- 
opening of  the  house. 

About  a  year  after  this,  (i  e.  1786)  a  movement  was 

*  It  is  probable  that  rough  and  temporary  preparation  was  made  in  the  cliurch 
for  the  Commencement  of  178;J.  At  tliat  time  Dr.  Ashbel  Green  graduated. 
Congress  was  then  in  session  in  Princeton,  and  Gen.  Washington  was  also  here. 
Congress  adjourned  for  that  day,  and  in  a  body,  together  with  Washington  and 
the  ministers  of  Fi-ance  and  Holland,  attended  the  Commencement  exercises  in 
the  church  and  sat  upon  the  stage.  While  in  Princeton,  Gen.  AVasliington  and  his 
lady  dwelt  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Peter  I.  Voorhees,  then  tenanted 
by  John  Harrison  Esq. 

In  the  year  1792  Dr.  Witherspoon  erected  a  large  canopy  over  the  pulpit, 
which  a  few  of  the  oldest  parishioners  yet  remember  as  presenting  a  striking 
feature  in  tlic  old  church.  An  ample  drapery  of  dark-coloured  stuff  hung  about 
it  which  was  held  in  festoons  by  a  large,  gilded,  radiating,  star-shaped  ornament. 
The  expense  of  this  ornament,  "  £15  specie,"  the  Trustees  "considering  it  as  a 
necessary  appendage  to  the  pulpit"  afterwards  refunded  to  the  Doctor. 


made  for  a  union  of  the  Princeton  and  Kingston  churches 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  one  minister.     A  committee 
was  appointed  by  each  congregation,  and  it  was  agreed 
by  the  two  committees,  that  the  two  bodies  should  re- 
main distinct   as  to  all   other  affairs,   but  that   "the 
services  of  the  minister  should  be  proportionate  in  each 
congregation  to  the  salary  raised  or  subscribed  for  him; 
and  that  in  their  opinion  a  sum  not  less  than  two  hun- 
dred pounds  would  be  requisite  as  an  adequate  support. 
That  he  should  be  at  liberty  to  reside  at  any  place 
within  the  bounds  of  the  two  congregations,  as  to  him 
should  be  most  convenient ;  and  that  a  further  allow- 
ance of  thirty-five  pounds  per  year  be  granted  him  in 
lieu  of  a  house  and  glebe."     This  union   was  on  the 
very   point   of  being   completed,  when   the    Prmceton 
congregation  inserted  as  a  condition,  that  they  should 
be  entitled  to  two  thirds  of  the  minister's  services,  on 
condition  of  their  raising  that  proportion  of  his  support. 
To  this  the  Kingston  congregation  would  not  assent, 
and  the  whole  plan  fell  through. 

About  the  same  time  (1786)  the  congregation  took 
measures  for  becoming  an  incorporated  body.  A  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  secure  from  the  Legislature  an 
act  of  incorporation,  who,  instead  of  obtaining  a  partic- 
ular act,  aided  in  procuring  from  that  body  the  passage 
of  the  general  law  under  which  any  religious  society 
or  congregation  in  the  state,  might  become  a  legal 
corporation.  Hitherto  the  pecuniary  affairs  of  the 
congregation  seem  to  have  been  managed  in  a  very 
informal  manner,  by  committees  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose from  time  to  time.  It  is  probable  that  the  church 
in  common  with  every  interest  and  institution  of  the 
country,  at  this  time  felt  the  inspiriting  influence  of  th« 


37 

civil  liberty  which  had  just  been  gained.  Accordingly, 
the  new  Board  of  Trustees,  first  elected  in  May  1786, 
referring  to  the  gloomy  period  they  had  passed,  and 
to  the  brighter  day  that  seemed  now  to  be  before 
them,  shortly  after  devised  a  corporate  seal  on  which  to 
this  day  may  be  read  the  motto,  '  Speremus  meliora,' 
(We  hope  for  better  things).* 

The  congregation  at  the  same  time  resolved  to  give 
their  church  a  more  regular  ecclesiastical  as  well  as 
legal  form,  and  on  the  21st  of  January  1786,  for  the 
first  time  elected  elders,  who  jointly  with  the  pastor 
should  constitute  the  Session  of  the  church.f  Before 
this  time,  in  consequence  of  the  peculiar  manner  in 
which  the  congregation  had  been  gathered  under  the 
College  Presidents,  the  whole  management  of  its  eccle- 
siastical and  spiritual  affairs  had  been  centered  in  the 
acting  Pastor  for  the  time  being.  He  received  commu- 
nicants to  the  Lord's  table,  and  dispensed  discipline, 
guided  by  his  o^vn  judgment  alone ;  and  it  is  a  cause  for 
deep  and  lasting  regret  that  he  did  not  even  keep,  so 
far  as  can  now  be  ascertained,  any  regular  and  separate 
record  of  church  affairs.  Dr.  John  Woodhull  of  Free- 
hold remarks  that  while  he  was  a  college  student  in  the 
year  1763,  he  was  received  to  the  communion  by  Dr. 
Finley,  who  said  at  the  time  that  he  acted  alone  as 
there  was  no  session.  In  the  same  way  also,  Dr.  Ashbel 
Green  informs  us,  that  he  was  received  in  1783  by  Dr. 
Witherspoon.  It  will  be  observed  however  that  there 
never  was  any  feature  of  Independency  or  Congrega- 
tionalism visible  in  the  church.    The  only  irregular  and 

*  The  first  Trustees  elected  -were  Robert  Stockton,  Richard  Longstreet,  John 
Little,  Enos  Kelsey,  James  Moore,  Isaac  Anderson,  and  William  Scudder. 

f  The  first  Elders  elected  were  Richard  Longstreet,  Jamea  Hamilton,  Thomas 
Blackwell,  and  John  Johnson. 


38 

unpreshyterian  facts  that  appear  in  its  history  are 
these: — first,  that  it  was  never  organized  under  the 
sanction  and  management  of  the  Presbytery  according 
to  the  ordinary  mode ;  and  second,  that  the  powers  of 
an  ordinary  session  were  regarded  as  concentrated  in 
the  one  person  of  the  acting  pastor.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  the  body  was  always  regarded,  notwith- 
standing the  absence  of  elders,  not  merely  as  a  collec- 
tion of  persons  thrown  together  for  mere  convenience 
in  worshipping,  but  as  a  constituted  church.  Hence 
Dr.  Smith  in  his  Sermon  preached  A.  D.  1781  at  the 
funeral  of  the  Hon,  Richard  Stockton,  the  older,  remarks 
that  he  was  "  many  years  a  member  of  this  church."* 
It  is  probable  that  the  congregation  in  choosing  elders 
at  this  time  acted  by  the  advice  and  request  of  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  who  having  come  from  Scotland,  was 
probably  not  pleased  with  the  absence  of  such  "  helps'- 
in  the  government  of  the  church.  And  as  he  was  now 
far  advanced  in  years,  he  doubtless  felt  the  need  of  an 
eldership  on  which  he  could  lean  for  aid  in  managing 
the  religious  concerns  of  the  church.  At  the  same 
meeting  at  which  the  organization  of  the  church  was 
thus  perfected,  the  congregation  by  a  formal  vote, 
appointed  Richard  Stockton,  Jonathan  Deare,  and  Dr. 
John  Beatty,  a  committee  to  wait  on  Dr.  Witherspoon 
and  present  to  him  its  thanks  for  his  "  long  and  impor- 
tant services  towards  them,"  and  to  request  that  he 
will  continue  "  to  take  upon  him  the  pastoral  care  of 
them."  At  the  same  meeting  they  also  resolved  to  raise  by 
subscription  a  quarterly  or  half-yearly  sum  as  a  com- 
pensation for  his  services.  This  is  the  first  mention  of 
any  renumeration  given  separately  by  the  congregation 

*  Quoted  in  Sanderson's  Lives  of  the  Signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence . 


39 

to  any  President  of  the  College.  It  is  possible  however, 
that  the  pew-rents  paid  while  they  worshipped  in  the 
College-Hall,  may  have  gone,  not  to  the  College  Trus- 
tees, but  to  the  preacher. 

Dr.  Witherspoon  continued  in  accordance  with  the 
above  request  to  minister  to  the  congregation  until 
about  a  year  before  his  death.  He  died  on  the  15th  of 
November  1794,  at  Tusculum  his  country-jDlace,  near 
by  the  town,  where  he  had  lived  for  nearly  fifteen  years. 
During  several  of  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he  was  not 
strong  enough  to  preach  with  any  considerable  regulari- 
ty. During  that  time  he  therefore  called  largely  for 
assistance  on  his  son-in-law  Dr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith, 
who  was  at  that  time  Vice  President  of  the  College. 
Great  as  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  on  the  floor  of  Congress, 
and  in  the  fields  of  literature  and  of  practical  educa- 
tion, he  carried  all  his  greatness  with  him  to  the  pulpit. 
He  was  an  admirable  textuary,  a  profound  theologian, 
and  a  grave,  dignified,  and  solemn  sj)eaker.  Although 
not  peculiarly  fervent  or  animated,  he  was  always  per- 
spicuous, affecting,  and  highly  instructive.  He  suffered 
from  a  peculiar  affection  of  the  nerves  attended  with 
dizziness,  which  came  upon  him  when  he  gave  free  vent 
to  his  feelmgs,  and  which  so  overpowered  him  on  one 
occasion,  in  a  moment  of  peculiar  animation  of  feeling, 
that  he  fell  from  the  pulpit.  He  was  compelled  there- 
fore to  a  great  extent  to  substitute  gravity  and 
seriousness  in  the  pulpit  for  fire  and  energy.^'  His 
•  practice  invariably  was  to  commit  his  sermon  to  memo- 
ry after  he  had  written  it  at  full  length,  and  so  prodigi- 
ous were  his  powers  in  memorizing,  that  after  reading  a 

jf  See  Memoir  of  Dr.  Witherspoon  in  Sanderson's  Lives  of  the  Signers  of  tb« 
Declaration  of  Independence. 


40 

discourse  two  or  three  times  over,  he  was  able  to  repeat 
it  verbatim  from  beginning  to  end.  In  preaching,  he 
loved  chiefly  to  dwell  on  the  great  and  leading  doctrines 
of  grace,  and  these  in  a  simple  and  lucid  manner,  he 
brought  down  to  the  comprehension  of  every  hearer. 
During  the  last  two  years  of  his  life.  Dr.  Witherspoon 
was  entirely  blind,  yet  even  this  severe  affliction  did  not 
lead  him  to  give  up  preaching.  There  are  a  few,  a  very 
few  aged  persons  yet  among  us,  who  can  well  remember 
how  the  venerable  man  was  led  up  the  pulpit  steps, 
and  how  when  there,  he  poured  forth  in  fervid  and 
solemn  tones  the  blessed  truths  of  God's  word  on  an 
audience  bathed  in  tears,  whilst  they  listened  to  the 
instructions  and  appeals  of  the  aged  and  sightless 
preacher. 

Of  the  state  of  religion  during  the  long  ministry  of 
Dr.  "Witherspoon  in  Princeton,  we  have  been  able  to  ob- 
tain no  very  definite  account.  Dr.  Green  informs  us  that 
during  his  Senior  year  in  College,  he  was  the  only 
professor  of  religion  among  the  students,*  and  that  a  num- 
ber of  them  were  grossly  irreligious.  The  very  lack  of 
information  on  the  subject,  as  well  as  the  turbulent  and 
distracted  state  of  the  country,  would  lead  us  to  expect 
that  religion  had  sunk  to  a  low  ebb  in  the  community 
at  large. 

After  the  death  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  the  congregation 
seems  to  have  been  been  satisfied  that  its  numbers  had 
so  increased ;  its  pastora  1  duties  become  so  laborious ; 
and  its  ability  alone  to  support  the  Gospel  so  abundant, 
that  it  resolved  on  having  a  Pastor  distinct  from  the 
College  President.     In  September  1793  it  being  repre- 

*  Life  of  Dr.  Green  page  133, 


41 

gented  to  the  Presbytery  that  Dr.  Witherspoon  by 
reason  of  his  advanced  age,  and  his  bodily  infirmities 
had  been  obliged  to  decline  the  regular  performance  of 
ministerial  duties,  the  Presbytery  declared  the  church 
at  Princeton  vacant.f  It  was  not  however  until  Sep- 
tember 1795,  the  year  following  the  death  of  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  that  the  congregation  met  and  elected  as 
their  pastor,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Finley  Snmixhn. 

Mr.  Snowden  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Isaac  Snowden, 
who  was  for  many  years  previous  to  the  revolutionary 
war,  Treasurer  of  the  City  and  County  of  Philadel- 
phia. He  was  a  very  benevolent  and  pious  man.  For 
many  years  he  held  the  office  of  ruling  elder  in  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church  of  PhiladeljDhia,  of  which  Dr. 
Sproat  was  at  that  time  pastor.  Mr.  Snowden,  the 
father,  was  a  warm  friend  and  helper  of  David  Brainerd 
in  his  labours  among  the  Indians  of  New  Jersey.  He 
collected  and  took  charge  of  the  money  raised  in  aid 
of  Mr.  Brainerd's  schools  and  other  efforts,  and  by  his 
thorough  knowledge  of  business  and  friendly  advice,  gave 
him  much  important  assistance.  He  was  also  a  Trustee 
of  the  College  of  New  Jersey  from  the  year  1782  until  he 
resigned  in  1808.  Being  an  ardent  Whig,  and  the  Brit- 
ish power  so  frequently  preponderating  in  Philadelphia, 
he  was  obliged  to  flee  for  safety  from  that  city,  and 
spent  a  number  of  years  in  Princeton  and  its  immediate 
vicinity.  During  his  residence  in  this  vicinity  Mr.  Snow- 
den was  elected  an  elder  in  this  church.  He  afterward 
returned  to  Philadelphia,  but  spent  the  last  years  of  hie 
life,  and  died  at  Cranbury,  where  another  of  his  sons, 
the  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennent  Snowden  was  then  Pastor. 

f  See  Minutes  of  New  Brunswick  Presbytery  of  that  date. 


42 

Samuel    Finley    Snowden,    the    son,    was    born    in 
Philadelphia  on  the  6th  of  November  1767,  and  grad- 
uated at   the  College  in  this  place  in  the  year  1786. 
Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  commenced  the 
study  of  law  with  Thomas  Bradford,  Esq.  one  of  the 
most   eminent   lawyers   of  that  day.      It  was  whilst 
studying  law,  and  participating  largely  in  the  frivolities 
and  dissipating  amusements  of  fashionable  society,  that 
the  Lord  was  pleased  to  convince  him  of  his  sins,  and 
lead  him  to  embrace  the  Gospel  plan  of  salvation.    Hav- 
ing been  religiously  and  strictly  trained,  his  conscience 
had   for  some  time  troubled   him.     He   felt  that   his 
course  of  life  would  not  bear  a  calm   and  conscientious 
investigation.     These  impressions  continued  to  become 
deeper  and  more  frequent,  until  at  length  having  set 
apart  a  day  for  fasting  and  prayer,  he  was  led  to  give 
up   all   for  Christ.     The   practice   of  law  thenceforth 
seeming  to  him  unfavorable  for  the  cultivation  of  piety, 
and  inconsistent  with  the  petition  "  Lead  me  not  into 
temptation,"  as  well  as  uncongenial  to  his  feelings  ;  he  at 
once  relinquished  it,  and  in  a  written  and  solemn  cov- 
enant,  devoted   himself  to   the    service  of  God.      He 
frequently  sought,  and  found  great  advantage  in  the 
prayers  and  conversation  of  his  brother  Gilbert,  then 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Cranbury. 

Soon  after  his  conversion  he  became  convinced  that 
it  was  his  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  commenced 
the  study  of  theology  in  Princeton  with  Drs.  Wither- 
spoon  and  Smith.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick  on  the  24  th  of  April 
1794;  on  the  14th  of  September  received  a  call  from 
this  church  to  become  its  pastor ;  and  was  ordained  and 
installed  by  the  Presbytery  on  the  25th  day  of  Novem- 


43 

ber  following.     The  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  D.D.,  preached 
the  sermon  on  that  occasion,  and  Dr.  S.  S.  Smith  pre- 
sided and  gave  the  charges.     Mr.  Snowden  continued 
to  hold  the  pastoral  relation  to  this  church  for  five  and 
a  half  years.     As  a  pastor  he  is  said  to  have  been  dili- 
gent and  faithful.     As  a  writer,  he  cultivated  a  beauti- 
ful and  easy  style,  which  was  however  deficient  in  con- 
densation and  in  power.     As  a  speaker  he  did  not  excel 
in  the  pulpit,  but  in  his  more  social  meetings  was  some- 
times quite  tender  and  impressive.     Towards  the  close 
of  his  pastorate  in  Princeton,  he  was  threatened  with 
consumption,  and  was  thought  to  be  in  a  decline,  in 
consequence  of  w^hich  he  obtained  a  release  from  his 
pastoral  charge,  April  29th,  1801.     After  having  tra- 
velled however  for  a  year,  he  found  himself  able  to  ac- 
cept a  pastoral  charge  at  Whitesborough  in  the  State  of 
New  York.     He  Avas  afterwards  settled  at  New-  Hart- 
ford, near  Utica,  where  he  built  up  a  large  and  flourish- 
ing church.     After  preaching  there  about  fourteen  years, 
he  removed  to  Sackett's  Harbour,  and  organized  a  church 
in  that  town.     There  he  continued  to  live  until  very 
recently,  when,  having  reached  the  good  old  age  of  78 
years,  he  died  in  May,  1845.     His  death  was  sudden 
and  unlooked  for.     Having  risen  one  morning  in  his 
usual  health,  he  was  sitting  in  his  chair,  when,  attempt- 
ing to  stoop,  he  fell  to  the  floor,  and  at  once  breathed 
his  last  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan.     He  had  often 
previously  expressed  a  desire  to  depart  and  be  with 
Christ,  and  had  often  expressed  a  hope  that  when  his 
appointed  time  had  come,  he  might  die  suddenly. 

At  a  time,  and  most  of  his  life  m  a  region  of  country 
in  which  many  pestilent  errors  abounded  greatly,  Mr. 
Snowden  was  an  unshrinking  champion  for   the  pure 


44 

truth.  And  although  we  hear  of  no  uncommon  religious 
interest  in  Princeton  during  his  ministry  here,  he  was 
afterwards  instrumental  in  promoting  several  powerful 
revivals  of  religion,  especially  at  Sackett's  Harbour, 
where  great  good  was  done  through  his  efforts.* 

After  Mr.  Snowden  had  resigned,  the  congregation 
again  turned  to  the  President  of  the  College,  and  Dr.  S. 
S.  Smith,  who  at  that  time  held  that  office,  became  their 
stated  preacher.  For  that  service  he  received  a  sepa- 
rate stipend  from  the  Trustees  of  the  church  until  Jan. 
1,  1804,  so  that  for  nearly  three  years  the  congregation 
while  vacant,  listened  to  the  polished  discourses  and 
graceful  elocution  of  that  distinguished  man. 

In  the  beginning  of  that  year  (1804)  an  arrangement 
was  entered  into  between  the  College  and  the  congrega- 
tion, in  consequence  of  which  the  congregation  gave  a 
call  to  the  Rev.  Henry  KoUoch  of  Elizabethtown  to  be- 
come their  pastor,  while  at  the  same  time  the  College 
authorities  elected  him  to  fill  the  chair  of  Professor  of 
Theology  in  that  institution.  These  invitations  were 
both  accepted. 

The  Rev.  Henry  Kollock  was  of  Huguenot  extrac- 
tion.f  His  father,  Mr.  Shepherd  Kollock,  was  a  well- 
known  and  patriotic  journalist  in  our  state.  Mr.  Kol- 
lock's  parents  resided  at  Elizabethtown  but  he  was  bom 
at  New  Providence  in  Essex  county  (whither  they  had 
retired  during  the  revolutionary  war,)  on  the  14th  of 
December  1778.  "While  yet  a  child  he  manifested  an 
uncommon  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  gave  striking  in- 

*  For  a  large  part  of  my  information  respecting  Mr.  Snowden,  I  am  indebted 
to  his  son,  Rev.  E,  H.  Snowden,  now  of  Warrenham,  Pa. 

f  His  ancestors  in  France  are  said  to  have  written  the  word  Colloque,  but  hav- 
ing tarried  some  time  in  Germany,  they  assumed  the  present  German  spelling  of 
the  name. 


45 

dications  of  possessing  extraordinary  talents.  Having 
passed  through  the  usual  preparatory  studies  at  Eliza- 
bethtown,  he  came  to  Princeton,  and  graduated  at  the 
College  in  September  1794,  when  he  was  yet  under  16 
years  of  age.  He  gave  evidences  of  a  serious  mind 
while  yet  a  child,  and  thence  onward  until  he  left  Col- 
lege. Shortly  after  his  graduation,  he  was  the  subject 
of  more  special  and  deeper  religious  impressions,  which 
soon  led  to  a  hearty  acceptance  of  the  Lord  as  hie 
God,  and  to  a  public  profession  of  religion,  while  yet 
under  18  years  of  age.  He  immediately  began  the  work 
of  preparation  for  the  Gospel  ministry,  pursuing  his 
studies  first  under  the  Rev.  David  Austin,  his  pastor,  at 
Elizabethtown.  Shortly  after,  he  became  a  Tutor  in 
Princeton  College,  in  which  office  he  continued  three 
years,  eagerly  improving  the  precious  opportunity  to 
store  his  mind  with  knowledge,  and  to  furnish  himself 
thoroughly  for  the  sacred  ministry.  On  the  7th  of  May, 
1800,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presbytery  of 
New  York,  which  then  included  Elizabethtown  within 
its  bounds.  His  talents  as  a  preacher  soon  attracted  un- 
usual attention,  so  that  in  October  following  his  licen- 
sure, he  was  called  by  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
Newark,  to  become  a  colleague  with  Dr.  Mac  Whorter 
its  venerable  pastor,  and  the  same  month  he  received 
also  a  call  to  the  vacant  church  at  Elizabethtown.  This 
last  call  he  accepted,  and  on  the  10th  of  December 
(1800)  was  ordained  and  installed  accordingly.  A  con- 
siderable number  were  soon  converted  and  hopefully 
gathered  in  under  his  ministry,  among  the  very  first  of 
whom  was  his  own  beloved  mother.  On  the  11th  day 
of  January  1804,  a  call  was  made  out  for  him  by  the 
congregation  of  this  church,  and,  during  the  month  pre- 


46 

vious,  having  received  the  appointment  of  Professor  of 
Theology,  he  accepted  together  the  two  invitations. 
About  the  same  time  he  also  received  a  call  from  a  Re- 
formed Dutch  church  in  the  city  of  Albany. 

Mr.  Kollock  continued  to  fill  his  two  offices  in  Prince- 
ton, a  little  less  than  three  years.     Shortl}^  after  he  came 
to  this  place,  so  high  was  at  that  time  his  standing,  and 
so  wide-spread  his  reputation,  that  he  received  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Divinity  almost  simultaneously  from 
Union  College  and  Harvard  University,  although   he 
was  then  only  twenty-six  years  of  age.    He  was  installed 
as  pastor  of  the  Princeton  church  on  the  12th  day  of 
June' 1804,  on  which  occasion  Dr.  S.  S.  Smith  preached 
the   sermon,  and  the   Rev.  Andrew   Hunter  gave  the 
charges  to  the  pastor  and  peojDle.     In  the  fall  of  the 
year  1806,  he  received  a  call  from  a  church  in  the  city 
of  Savannah,  Ga.,  which  he  accepted,  and  his  pastoral 
relation  to  this  church  was  dissolved  by  the  Presbytery 
on  the  7th  day  of  October  in  that  year.     Soon  after 
going  to  Savannah,  he  also  received  a  call  to  the  Park 
St.  church  in  the  city  of  Boston,  which,  having  declined, 
he  continued  to  labour  in  Savannah  for  thirteen  years 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  29th  of  Decem- 
ber 1819.* 

There  is  one  brief  portion  of  Dr.  Kollock's  history  to 
which  it  had  been  better  perhaps  not  to  have  alluded, 
had  not  his  error  been  a  matter  ^f  more  familiar  notori- 
ety among  you,  than  was  his  recovery.  And  it  is  cer- 
tainly a  most  impressive  providential  admonition  for 
him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  to  take  heed  lest  he  fall, 

*  A  neat  cenotaph  has  just  been  erected  to  his  memory  on  the  cemetery  lot  as- 
Mgned  by  the  Trustees  of  the  church  to  be  the  future  burial-place  of  the  pastor* 
of  this  church  and  their  families. 


47 

that  one  so  g-ifted,  so  undoubtedly  pious,  and  so  eminent 
in  the  church,  was  left  even  lor  a  short  time  under  the 
power  of  the  same  appetite  which  once  humbled  Noah, 
that  ancient  '•  preacher  of  righteousness."  The  power 
of  divine  grace  was,  however,  magnified  by  proving  that 
*'  although  the  righteous  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utterly 
cast  down."  I  have  received  clear  and  ample  testimony 
from  those  who  personally  knew  him,  that  his  self-in- 
dulgence was  only  temporary,  and  that  for  many  years 
before  his  death  he  rigidly  practised  the  principles  of 
total  abstinence,  while  his  past  error  was  a  cause  of  con- 
stant, deep,  and  evangelical  sorrow  to  him. 

In  the  city  of  Savannah,  Dr.  Kollock  was  popular  to 
an  extraordinary^  degree,  not  only  among  his  own  iiock, 
but  among  all  classes  and  denominations  of  the  citizens. 
During  his  last  illness  his  house  was  surrounded  daily 
by  anxious  and  inquiring  crowds.  On  one  forenoon 
during  his  illness  a  crowded  congregation  assembled  in 
his  church  to  offer  earnest  prayer  for  his  recovery.  In 
his  dying  moments  he  gave  a  calm  yet  beautiful  exem- 
plification of  the  supporting  power  of  the  Gospel.  On 
the  morning  of  the  day  on  which  he  died,  a  stupor  that 
had  before  oppressed  him  was  removed ;  his  mind  was 
clear;  and  he  made  many  remarks  indicative  of  the 
strength  of  his  faith,  and  the  joyfulness  of  his  hope  in 
Jesus.  In  the  course  of  the  da}^,  he  requested  one  of 
the  family  to  read  to  him  from  the  Pilgrim's  Progress, 
the  account  of  the  Pilgrim's  passing  over  Jordan.  In 
the  afternoon  he  requested  some  who  were  present  to 
sing  for  him  that  sweet  Hymn  beginning  "  There  is  a 
land  of  pure  delight."  His  last  words  were  those  of 
dying  Stephen  ^^ Lord  Jesiw,  receive  my  spint"  After 
his  death  the  Mayor  of  the  city  issued  a  proclamation 


48 

requesting  the  suspension  of  all  business  throughout 
the  city  on  the  day  of  his  funeral ;  all  the  vessels  in 
the  harbour  placed  their  colours  half-mast  high,  and  a 
feeling  of  deep  and  universal  grief  was  manifested 
throughout  the  whole  community.* 

Dr.  Kollock  was  no  ordinary  man :  still  less  was  he 
an  ordinary  preacher.  His  talents  and  his  eloquence 
have  given  him  a  fame  which  will  long  abide.  His  dis- 
courses were  every  where  listened  to  with  peculiar  in- 
terest and  delight.  Even  the  fastidious  critic,  the  care- 
less worldling,  and  the  scoffing  infidel  were  frequently 
attracted  by  his  eloquence,  to  enter  the  house  of  God. 
Yet  his  sermons  were  not  merely  oratorical ;  they  were 
rich  in  practical  instruction.  The  weighty  truths  of  the 
Gospel  were  set  forth  in  a  lucid  and  forcible  manner,  so 
that  sinners  were  made  to  tremble,  and  saints  were  di- 
rected, strengthened  and  comforted.  While  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Savannah  he  spent  a  couple  of  years  in 
Europe ;  and  in  England,  Scotland,  and  France  the 
crowds  who  flocked  to  hear  him  gave  testimony  to  hie 
genuine  eloquence.  Dr.  Kollock  was  familiar  with  the 
works  of  the  distinguished  pulpit  orators  of  France,  such 
as  Saurin,  Flechier,  Massillon,  and  Bourdaloue,  and  the 
traces  of  that  familiarity  are  quite  perceptible  in  his 
published  sermons.  Yet  while  he  gained  many  graces  of 
style  from  the  contemplation  of  such  models,  he  lost  noth- 
ing of  the  savour  and  nutriment  of  evangelical  religion. 
His  sermons  which  were  j)ublished  in  four  volumes  are 
among  the  very  best  ever  issued  from  the  press.  Indeed, 
except  those  of  President  Davies  it  would  be  difficult  to 

*  For  many  of  the  facts  relating  to  Dr.  Kollock,  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  John 
McDowell  of  Philadelphia,  who  very  kindly  lent  me  a  MS.  containing  many  inter- 
•«tin^  details  of  his  life  and  death. 


49 

find  any  American  sermons  of  greater  value  for  private 
or  family  reading ;  to  find  any,  more  lucid,  more  in- 
structive, more  practical,  or  more  fervent.  More  than 
once  have  I  met  with  plain,  bible  Christians,  who  have 
hoarded  up  a  copy  of  Kollock's  sermons,  as  next  to  the 
Bible,  their  choicest  literary  treasure. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  KoUock,  died  Dr.  Thom- 
as Wiggins,  leaving  a  signal  proof  of  his  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  Christ,  and  to  the  interests  of  this  church 
in  particular,  by  bequeathing  his  house  and  farm  of 
about  20  acres  to  the  church  for  the  use  of  the  succes- 
sive pastors.  In  that  venerable  parsonage  the  pastors  of 
the  church  accordingly  lived  in  succession  until  the  year 
1847,  when,  the  house  having  become  old  and  almost 
untenantable,  it  was  judged  best  by  the  congregation 
to  dispose  of  it,  which  was  soon  after  done.  Many 
doubts  seem  to  have  been  entertained  as  to  the  validity 
of  the  bsquest ;  both  because,  as  was  said,  no  devisee 
was  expressly  named  capable  of  taking  the  legal  estate  ; 
and  also  because  Dr.  Kollock,  at  that  time  the  pastor, 
was  incautiously  made  one  of  the  subscribing  witnesses. 
On  this  account  the  congregation  determined  to  pur- 
chase all  the  remaining  right  of  Dr.  Wiggins'  heirs 
whatever  it  might  be,  which  was  done  at  an  expense 
of  several  hundreds  of  dollars.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
however,  of  the  entire  intent  of  Dr.  Wiggins  to  confer 
this  benefit  upon  the  church  ;  a  benefit  which  is  to  this 
day  powerfully  operative  in  promoting  its  advantage. 
He  therefore  deserves  to  be  ever  and  gratefully  remem- 
bered as  a  benefactor  of  this  church.  Dr.  Wiggins  was 
for  many  years  a  highly  respected  physician  in  this 
town.     On  the   3d  of  March  1792   he  was  chosen  an 

elder,  and  continued  with   great  zeal,  devotion,   and 

4 


»;>> 


50 

judgment  to  discharge  the  duties  of  that  office,  until 
he  departed  this  life  in  the  faith  and  lively  hope  of  the 
Gospel  on  the  14th  day  of  November,  1804.  The 
Board  of  Trustees,  as  a  token  of  gratitude  for  his  be- 
quest, erected  over  his  remains  the  monument  which 
may  yet  be  seen  in  our  graveyard. 

After  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Kollock,  the  Presbytery 
sent  supplies  at  the  request  of  the  congregation  to  fill 
the  pulpit,  which  continued  vacant  more  than  three 
years,  until  at  lenth  a  call  was  extended  to  and  ac- 
cepted by  the  Rev.  William  G.  Sclienck.  Mr.  Schenck 
was  born  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Princeton,  on 
the  30th  day  of  April  1788.  His  father,  Mr.  Joseph 
Schenck,  was  the  son  of  an  early  settler  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  was  for  many  years  an  excellent  and 
consistent  member  of  this  church.  He  was  at  one  time 
chosen  as  an  Elder,  which  office  however  he  modestly 
declined  accepting.  His  wife  was  noted  for  her 
prudence,  discretion,  and  ardent  piety.  By  her  exam- 
ple, and  assiduous  care,  the  seeds  of  piety  were  early 
sown  in  the  mind  of  her  son  William ;  who  early 
exhibited  a  thirst  for  knowledge.  Having  passed  through 
the  usual  preparatory  and  Collegiate  course,  he  grad- 
uated at  the  College  in  this  place,  in  September  1805. 

How  wonderful  and  how  mysterious  are  the  ways  of 
God.  And  in  nothing  perhaps  more  so,  than  in  the 
methods  he  takes  for  answering  his  people's  prayers. 
In  this  case,  the  faithful  mother's  death,  was  made  the 
means  of  securing  the  answer  to  her  own  prayers,  in 
bringing  about  the  conversion  of  a  beloved  son.  This 
bereavement  occurred  during  his  Junior  year,  and  the 
efiect  upon  his  mind  was  deep  and  abiding.     It  was  soon 


51 

discovered  by  a  pious  fellow-student'""  that  lie  was  more 
serious  than  usual,  and  by  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his 
faithful  conversations,  together  with  other  means  divine- 
ly employed,  these  impressions  were  fostered  until  they 
led  at  length  to  a  hope  of  mercy  through  Christ.     It 
was  not,  however,  until  October  4th,  18UG,  that  he  felt 
his  way  so  entirely  clear  as  to  unite  himself  to  the 
church  in  a  public  profession.     This  act  was  with  him 
a  hearty  surrender  of  the  whole  man  to  the  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  the  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
From  this  time  onward  until  his  death  all  his  writings 
manifest  a  constant  and  eager  desire  after  two  things — 
holiness  and  usefulness.     On  the  day  on  which  he  was 
admitted  to  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  he  wrote 
thus  in  his  private  diary.     "Oct.  5th,  1806.     On  this 
day  I  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Kollock,  and  ad- 
mitted to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.     I  fer- 
vently bless  the  Lord  that  he  has  permitted  me,  a  poor 
despicable  worm,  to  sit  down  at  his  table  to  commem- 
orate the  actions  of  redeeming  love,  and  link  myself  to 
his  church  on  earth.     Grant,  Almighty  Father,  that  1, 
admitted  to  so  glorious  a  privilege,  may  study  with  all 
my  heart,  and  all  my  soul,  and  all  my  strength,  to  grow 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.     May  it  be  my 
greatest  pleasure,  my  meat  and  my  drink,  to  know,  to 
iove,  and  to  serve  thee.     May  I  never  deny  my  Lord, 
nor  be  ashamed  of  my  religious  calling.     I  was  much 
affected  by  the  performance  of  the  ceremony  and  by  the 
prayer  of  Mr.  Kollock.     Of  the  latter  there  was  one  ex- 
pression which  I  hope  I  never  shall  forget.     "  Grant 

*  The  fellow-student  here  alluded  to  is  now  the  Rev.  Eli  F.  Cooley,  to  whon 
ihe  writer  is  indebted  for  much  information  respecting  his  uncle,  of  which  he  wai 
before  entirely  ignorant 


52 

that  lie  he  a  shining  and  a  useful  member  of  the  churchr 
0  how  sincerely  I  hope  to  be  useful  in  the  church.  O 
God,  how  would  it  rejoice  me,  if  so  vile  a  worm  as  I 
should  be  instrumental  in  promoting  my  Heavenly 
Father's  glory."  One  year  afterward  he  wrote  again 
as  follows.  "  Oct.  11, 1807.  This  day  I  partook  of  the 
sacrament  at  Kingston.*  It  is  the  anniversary  of  my 
church  membership.  I  lament  my  un worthiness  and 
sins  of  the  past  year ;  my  neglect  of  religious  duties ; 
my  attachment  to  the  world,  and  languor  of  faith  and 
devotion.  0  Lord,  enable  and  dispose  me  henceforth  to 
walk  more  circumspectly,  and  to  live  more  conformed 
to  thy  will.  Strengthen  my  faith,  excite  my  love  to 
thee,  and  forgive  my  sins.  Have  pity  upon  me,  have 
'pity  upon  me,  0  Lord,  and  help  on  my  lingering  soul  to^ 
wards  Heavenr  And  such  seem  to  have  been  his  aspi- 
rations all  through  his  short  but  useful  ministry. 

Immediately  after  uniting  with  the  church,  Mr. 
Schenck  began  the  study  of  theology,  under  the  guidance 
of  Dr.  Samuel  Stanhope  Smith.  By  his  modesty,  pro- 
priety, assiduity,  sound  judgment,  and  above  all  his 
fervent  piety,  he  completely  won  the  affections  of  his 
distinguished  instructor,  who  continued  to  be  through 
life  his  fast  and  ardent  friend. 

Mr.  Schenck  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick,  October  8th  1808.  He  soon  after  went  to 
Cooperstown  in  the  state  of  New  York,  where  h'» 
preached  as  a  stated  supply  in  the  vacant  pulpit  of  that 
place,  through  the  following  winter.  In  the  spring  he 
returned  to  Princeton,  and  preached  for  a  considerable 

*  For  many  years,  down  to  somewhere  about  the  year  1820,  the  congregation» 
of  Princeton  and  Kingston  united  in  partaking  of  the  Lord's  Supper  at  their  two 
places  of  worship  alternately. 


63 

part  of  a  year  as  a  stated  supply  to  this  church.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  he  received  a  call  to  become 
its  pastor,  and  at  the  same  time  received  another  call 
from  the  congregation  to  which  he  had  preached  in 
Cooperstown.  Alter  much  hesitation  he  accepted  the 
call  from  this  church,  and  was  ordained  and  in:stalled 
accordingly  on  the  Gth  day  of  June,  1810. 

The  Rev.  William  C.  Sclienck  continued  to  be  the 
Pastor  for  nearly  nine  years.  The  influence  of  his  min- 
istry in  promoting  the  bests  interests  of  the  church  is 
manifest  on  every  page  of  the  church  record  during  the 
time  that  ministry  continued.  Larger  numbers  were 
added  annually  to  the  church  than  at  a.i\y  previous  time, 
while  every  thing  connected  with  it  began  to  wear  a 
brighter  and  more  hopeful  aspect.  His  style  of  preach- 
ing was  at  first  quite  imaginative  and  ornate,  but  amidst 
the  pressure  of  ministerial  duties  he  soon  acquired  one 
that  was  more  compact,  direct,  energetic,  and  instruc- 
tive. He  was  as  occasion  demanded,  the  friend,  the 
adviser,  the  reprover,  the  comforter  of  his  flock,  and  it 
is  believed  that  rarely  has  a  pastor  been  more  beloved 
than  he  was.  Yet  with  all  his  labours  of  an  out-door 
kind,  he  managed  to  be  a  faithful  and  constant  student. 
During  his  short  pastorate  he  systematically  wrote  and 
preached  on  every  prominent  topic  in  theology.  We 
prefer  however  to  give  some  account  of  his  labours  in 
the  verv  words  of  those  wdio  knew  him  and  who  laboured 
with  him.  The  honoured  author  of  "  Letters  on  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper""^'  wdio  was  a  ruling  elder 
during  the  whole  period  of  his  pastorate,  and  who  wan 

*  Judge  Samuel  Bajard.  wlio  was  for  tbirty-throe  j-earsan  elder  in  the  Prince- 
ton church,  from  the  year  1807  until  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-three  yenrp 
he  departed  this  life  May  12,  1840,  universally  honored  and  lamented. 


54 

intimately  acquainted  with  his   character  and  labourSy 
wrote  of  him  shortly  after  his  decease  as  follows — "  He 
has  left  a  name  untarnished  by  a  solitary  spot  that 
could  raise  a  blush  on  the  face  of  friendship,  or  extort  a 
sigh  from  the  bosom  of  affection.     Before  he  attained 
the  prime  of  life,  he  has  been  called  from  a  scene  of  trial, 
to  receive  the  rewards  of  sincere  faith  and  active  zeal. 
He  has  descended  to  the  grave  after  a  short  service  iii 
the  vineyard  of  his  Lord,  but  the  service,  though  short, 
was  diligent  and  exemplary.     The  modesty  and  pru- 
dence of  his  general  deportment — his  ardent  devotion 
to  the  duties  of  his  office — his  peculiar  and  affectionate 
attention  to  the  youth  of  his  congregation,  and  his  efforts 
to  train  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,  render  his  loss  a  subject  of  deep  and  general  sor- 
row.    Intelligent,  amiable,  and  assiduous,  his  highest 
ambition  was  to  serve  the  best  of  Masters  with  zeal  and 
fidelit3^     He    has   left   many  sincere  and  affectionate 
friends  to  mourn  his  loss,  without  leaving  one  solitary 
enemy  to  cast  a  shade  over  his  unsullied  name."     A 
clergyman,  who  from  their  College  days  was  his  intimate 
and  confidential  friend,'''  sums  up  his  estimate  of  him  in 
these  words,  "  He  was  an  Israelite  indeed  in  whom  there 
was   no   guile ;  an  affectionate,  confiding  friend ;  w^ho 
gave  his  life  and  his  talents  to  his  Master's  work,  and 
was  a  hui'ning  and  a  sldning  light!'     Another  clergyman 
who  was  also   a  member  of  the  same  Presbytery,  and 
long  settled  over  a  contiguous  church,f  says  that  when 
the  congregation  selected  him,  they  were  desiring  "  to 

*  The  Rev.  Eli  F.  Cooley,  Pastor  of  the  church  of  Ewiug  near  Trenton,  in  a 
letter  to  the  writer. 

f  Rev.  Isaac  V.  Brown,  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  church  at  Lawrenceville. 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  several  long  and  interesting  letters  respecting  Prince- 
ton affairs  in  former  days. 


have  a  pastor  of  their  own,  the  child  of  their  own  choice, 
and  the  object  of  their  affection,  to  whom  they  might 
look  in  any  emergency  as  their  pattern,  guide,  and  com- 
forter. Such  a  man  they  found  in  William  C,  Schenck, 
a  man  modest,  meek,  honest,  sincere,  diligent,  constant, 
firm,  very  much  after  Qod's  own  heart.  Pie  was,  when 
called,  quite  young,  very  unassuming,  and  especially 
a  youth  brought  up  in  the  midst  of  the  parish.  But 
every  thing  was  proceeding  delightfully,  when  he  was 
suddenly  arrested  by  a  typhus  fever  which  in  a  few 
days  brought  him  to  the  grave.  He  was  a  ready  writer; 
a  good  speaker;  a  very  affectionate,  benevolent,  and 
prudent  man.  He  inspired,  considering  his  age  and  cir- 
cumstances, universal  respect  and  confidence.  He  was 
growmg  in  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  flock,  and 
seemed  destined  to  make  them  a  compact,  well-cemented 
company,  prospermg  in  the  things  that  make  for  holi- 
ness and  heaven."  The  remark  was  more  than  once 
made  by  venerated  fathers  in  the  church,  that  if  his  life 
were  spared,  he  was  likely  to  become  an  eminent  ser- 
vant of  Christ,  and  an  important  pillar  in  the  Presby- 
terian church.  His  death  occurred  on  the  evening  of 
the  17th  of  October,  1818,  in  the  31st  year  of  his  age. 
The  weakness  and  delirium  of  fever  prevented  him 
from  confirming  by  any  dying  testimony,  the  already 
abundant  testimony  of  his  life  and  labours.  After 
a  solemn  and  appropriate  discourse  from  Dr.  Samuel 
Miller,  on  Rev.  xiv.  13,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  that 
die  in  the  Lord,  &c.,"  his  body  was  borne  to  the  grave 
attended  by  his  sorrowing  congregation. 

About  three  years  after  Mr.  Schenck  became  the 
pastor,  the  congregation  suffered,  in  February  1813,  the 
calamity  of  having  its  house  of  worship  entirely  des- 
troyed by  fire.     This  calamity  was  occasioned  by  the 


56 

carelessness  of  the  sexton,  in  leaving  hot  embers  in  a 
wooden  vessel  which  was  placed  in  a  closet  under  the 
stairs.  This  was  on  a  Saturday  evening.  The  fire  was 
not  discovered  until  Sunday  morning,  and  when  the  dis- 
tant members  of  the  congregation  came  to  attend  wor- 
ship on  that  Sabbath  morning  they  found  their  church 
building  a  mass  of  smouldering  ruins.  The  College 
kindly  offered  the  congregation  the  use  of  one  of  its  re- 
citation-rooms, which  was  accordingly  occupied  until  a 
new  edifice  was  prepared  for  their  reception.  Up  to  this 
time  the  students  of  the  Colles-e  had  attended  Sabbath 
service  in  the  church.  But  as  the  recitation  room  was 
not  large  enough  to  hold  the  students  together  with  the 
congregation,  a  separate  service  was  instituted  for  the 
students  on  Sabbath  morning  in  the  College  Chapel, 
which  was  continued  when  the  congregation  returned 
to  their  new  church,  and  has  been  ever  since  main- 
tained. 

Although  much  cast  down  by  this  event,  a  meeting 
was  held  during  the  week  following  the  conflagration, 
at  which  arrangements  for  rebuilding  were  at  once  en- 
tered upon,  and  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  July  of  the  fol- 
lowing year,  the  house  was  so  far  completed  as  to  be 
used  for  public  worship.  The  College  corporation  now 
gave  a  deed  for  the  ground  occupied  by  the  church,  ac- 
cording to  the  agreement  made  in  1762,  and  on  nearly 
the  same  conditions  as  then  stated.  It  also  made  a  do- 
nation of  five  hundred  dollars  towards  rebuilding  the 
edifice.  The  congregation  were  now  obliged  to  com- 
mence a  renewed  and  arduous  struggle  to  raise  sufficient 
funds.  Among  the  various  expedients  to  which  they 
had  recourse,  one  was  to  solicit  from  the  Rev.  Drs. 
Smith,  Green,  Alexander,  and  Miller,  a  sufiicient  num- 


57 

ber  of  discourses  to  make  a  volume,  which  should  be 
sold  iu  aid  of  tlie  cluirch  funds.  This  plan,  although 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  tlie  congregation,  was  from  some 
unknown  cause  never  carried  out.  When  the  house 
of  worship  was  completed,  they  received  a  gift  of  a 
handsome  chandelier  from  the  Hon.  Elias  Boudinot, 
LL.D. 

The  pastor's  salary  had  up  to  this  time  (1814)  beenrais- 
ed  by  annual  subscription  of  the  congregation.  This  plan 
was  found  to  be  exceedingly  uncertain  and  trouljlesome. 
The  congregation  now  had  a  meeting,  at  which  they 
resolved  thenceforth  to  raise  the  salary  by  a  fixed  rate 
laid  upon  the  pews,  which  has  ever  since  been  done. 
For  this  valuable  improvement  they  are  indebted  to  Dr. 
Ashbel  Green,  who,  at  that  meeting,  explained  the  new 
system  as  he  had  seen  it  in  operation  in  the  Philq^del- 
phia  churches,  and  successfully  urged  its  adoption  here. 

Religion  seems  to  have  been  for  a  number  of  years 
about  this  time  iu  an  unusually  vigorous  and  nourish- 
ing condition.  This  was  owing  instrumentally  not  only 
to  the  warm  piety  and  earnest  activity  of  the  pastor, 
but  also  very  largely  to  the  powerful  und  ha|)py  reli- 
gious influence  of  the  two  revered  Professors  of  the 
Theological  Seminary,  who  began  to  reside  in  t-ie  place 
about  the  year  1812.  In  the  year  1814  many  of  the 
churches  in  this  portion  of  the  state  were  visited  with 
unusually  powerful  influences  of  God's  Spirit.  Prince- 
ton was  not  passed  wholly  by,  but  in  a  noiseles,-!'  season 
of  refreshing  about  thirty  persons  were  that  year  added 
to  the  church. 

The  next  year,  1815,  was  rendered  memorable  as  a 
year  of  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High.  After  an 
absence  of  many  years  the  Spirit  descended  with  mighty 


58 

power  upon  the  College.     The  whole  number  of  students 
w.as  at  this  time   an  hundred  and  five  ;  of  whom  only 
twelve  were   professors   of  religion  when  the  revival 
began.     Concerning  this  work  of  grace,  one  who  was  an 
eye-witness,  wrote  just  after  its  beginning  to  a  distant 
friend  as  follows  :  "  Our  blessed  Lord  is  manifesting  his 
power  to  save  by  making  bare  his  arm  for  the  salvation 
of  a  number  of  the  most  gay,  ilioughtless  and  dissipated 
students  of  the  college,  where  he  is  carrying  on  a  glo- 
rious revival  of  his  work,     I  believe  it  is  a  very  extra- 
ordinary work,  free  from  the  objections  that  are  usually 
made  on  such  occasions,  viz  :  that  it  is  all  enthusiasm, 
effected  by  working  up  the  passions  to  an  extraordinary 
pitch.     Drs.  Green,  Alexander  and  Miller,  have  in  ro- 
tation preached  in  the  Hall  every  Sabbath  forenoon  since 
the  commencement  of  the  present  session,  without  any 
visible  effect,  other  than  a  solemn  attention.     There 
were  six  or  eight  pious  students  who  agreed,  on  the 
late  public  fast-day,  to  visit  the  different  rooms,  and 
converse  with  their  brethren  on  religious  subjects,  and 
to  their  astonishment,  they  found  a  number  labouring 
under  conviction,  but  supposing  their  cases  to  be  singu- 
lar, they  had  not  made  them  known.     They  immedi- 
ately established  a  praying  society,  and  the  work  be- 
came notorious.     I  believe  there  are  at  this  time  as 
many  as  twelve  or  fourteen  who  are  rejoicing  in  the 
love  of  Jesus  and  the  hopes  of  immortal  glory ;  and  as 
many  as  forty  appear  to  be  earnestly  seeking  the  salva- 
tion of  their  souls.     Yet  there  is  nothing  tumultuous  or 
disorderly  in  the  meetings,  but  an  awful  solemnity,  be- 
coming the  important  subjects  of  the  salvation  of  the 
soul,  and  the  eternal  world."* 

*  This  extract  and  the  next  are  from  letters  written  from  Princeton  in  1816, 


59 

Another  eye-witness  wrote  about  a  month  Uiter  con- 
cerning the  same  work  as  follows :  "  You  have  doubt- 
less heard  before  this  period,  that  several  parts  of  the 
Lord's  vineyard  in  this  favoured  region,  have  been  re- 
cently blessed  with  the  copious  outpourings  of  the 
Divine  Spirit.  Within  the  last  year  the  power  and 
glory  of  sovereign  grace  have  been  richly  and  exten- 
sively manifested  in  many  of  the  churches  of  this  state, 

on  behalf  of  perishing  sinners Yet  Nassau  Hall 

which  was  founded  in  faith  and  solemnly  consecrated 
unto  God,  has  not  until  within  a  few  weeks  experienced 
more  than  the  ordinary  effusions  of  God's  Holy  Spirit. 
....  The   independent  Jehovah  is  now,  w^e  believe, 

working  like  unto  himself  for  that  institution 

Had  you  been  an  inhabitant  of  Princeton  last  winter, 
and  then  witnessed  the  deplorable  conduct  of  many  be- 
longing to  the  college  established  in  this  place,  and 
could  you  now  accompany  me  through  this  spacious 
building  in  the  present  state  of  things,  I  am  persuaded 
you  would  be  ready  to  exclaim,  '  This  'Is  the  Lord's  work.' 
Within  its  w^alls  there  is  now  no  scoffer  who  has  the 
hardihood  to  make  his  boast  of  sin.  Seriousness  is  now- 
depicted  on  every  countenance,  and  reverence  for  God 
and  his  worship  appears  conspicuous  in  the  deportment 
even  of  those  who  are  yet  unawakened  to  a  sense  of 
their  condition,  But  let  me  tell  you  that  upicards  of 
forty  within  this  dwelling  are  now  rejoicing  in  the  effi- 
cacy of  atoning  blood,  and  are  magnifying  the  richness 
of  that  grace  which  bringeth  salvation  to  the  ruined  and 
undone.     And  there  are  many  more,  whose  cries  for 


to  the  Rev.  Mr.  j\jidrew8  of  CMllicothe,  Ohio.  They  -were  recently  published  in  the 
Louisville  Presbyterian  Herald,  and  kindly  sent  to  me  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  S.  Plumer,  of 
Baltimore. 


60 

mercy  are  ascending  by  day  and  night  to  the  throne  of 
God  and  the  Lanib.  Yes !  they  are  asking  with  earnest 
solicitude  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved.  This  I  be- 
lieve is  considered  by  the  most  experienced,  as  the  most 
rational  and  promising  revival  that  they  have  ever  been 
permitted  to  witness.  There  is  in  its  influence  none  of 
that  untempered  enthusiasm  which  in  such  times  of 
awakening  is  so  often  observed  with  pain  and  regret. 
The  exercises  of  those  who  have  obtained  a  hope  of 
pardon  through  Christ  have  been  in  all  their  stages 
such  as  ought  to  be  expected  in  the  inquirer  after  de- 
liverance from  sin  and  destruction.  None  have  seemed 
disposed  to  rest  on  any  slight  evidence  of  their  having 
been  born  again.  Their  views  of  the  total  depravity  of 
human  nature,  and  of  the  only  way  in  which  a  sinner 
can  be  washed,  and  sanctified  and  justified,  have  been 
such  as  to  manifest  that  they  were  wrought  by  the 
Holy  Ghost." 

These  accounts  are  fully  corroborated  by  that  of 
President  Green,  who  adds  many  interesting  particu- 
lars. "  The  few  pious  youth  (says  he)  who  were  mem- 
bers of  the  college  before  the  revival  were  also  happily 
instrumental  in  promoting  it.  They  had  for  more  than 
a  year  been  earnestly  engaged  in  praying  for  this  event, 
When  they  perceived  the  general  and  increasing  serious- 
ness, several  of  them  made  an  agreement  to  speak  pri- 
vately and  tenderly  to  their  particular  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances on  the  subject  of  religion.  And  what  they 
said  was  in  almost  every  instance  not  only  well  recei- 
ved, but  those  with  whom  they  conversed  became  im- 
mediately and  earnestly  engaged  in  those  exercises, 
which  it  is  hoped  have  issued  in  genuine  piety.  A 
public  profession  of  religion,  made  by  two  students  who 


61 

had  been  a  good  while  thoughtful,  had  also,  at  this 
tune,  much  inliucnce  apparently,  both  in  producing  and 
in  deepening  impressions  in  many  others."  "  The  revi- 
val commenced  or  rather  became  apparent,  in  the 
second  week  in  January,  without  any  unusual  occur- 
rence in  providence,  without  any  alarming  event,  with- 
out any  extraordinary  preaching,  without  any  special 
instruction,  or  other  means  that  might  be  supposed 
peculiarly  adapted  to  interest  the  mirfd.  The  divine 
influence  seemed  to  descend  like  the  silent  dew  of  hea- 
ven ;  and  in  about  four  weeks  there  w^ere  very  few 
individuals  in  the  college  edifice  who  were  not  deeply 
impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  spiritual 
and  eternal  things.  There  was  scarcely  a  room,  per- 
haps not  one,  which  was  not  a  place  of  earnest  secret 
devotion.  For  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  of  our 
charge  was  pressing  into  the  kingdom  of  God ;  so  that 
at  length  the  inquiry  in  regard  to  them  was,  not  who 
was  engaged  about  religion,  but  who  loas  not.  After 
this  state  of  thiniirs  had  continued  without  much  varia- 
tion  for  about  two  months,  it  became  manifest  that  a 
change  was  taking  place.  Some  were  becoming  con- 
firmed in  the  hopes  and  habits  of  evangelical  piety; 
some  were  serious,  thoughtful,  pra3^erful,  though  per- 
haps not  in  so  great  a  degree,  or  at  least  not  so  appor 
rently,  as  they  had  once  been  ;  while  some  were  plainly 
losing  the  impressions  which  they  had  lately  felt.  The 
result  is  that  there  are  somewhat  more  than  forty  stu- 
dents, in  regard  to  whom,  so  far  as  the  time  elapsed  will 
permit  us  to  judge,  favourable  hopes  may  be  enter- 
tained that  they  have  been  made  the  subjects  of  re- 
newing grace.  Perhaps  there  are  twelve  or  lifteen  more 
who  still  retain  such  promising  impressions  of  religion 


62 

as  to  authorize  a  hope  that  the  issue  may  be  favoura- 
able."=^ 

This  work  of  grace  was  not  felt  with  any  thing  like 
a  corresponding  extensiveness  or  power  in  the  town. 
Yet  that  the  town  did  not  wholly  miss  the  heavenly 
influence  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  about  the  same 
time,  besides  a  number  of  the  students,  twenty-one  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  received  into  the 
church  on  a  profession  of  their  faith.  It  was  a  precious 
season,  and  a  peculiarly  deep  and  tender  interest  still 
hangs  around  it,  in  the  recollection  of  all  who  were  in 
Princeton  at  that  time,  either  as  residents  or  students. 
And  rarely  has  it  happened,  since  the  days  of  the 
Apostles,  that  there  have  been  at  one  time  and  in  one 
place  gathered  in,  so  many  who  were  to  become  promi- 
nent, useful,  and  successful  labourers  in  the  ministry  of 
reconciliation."!" 

From  the  year  1818,  which  we  have  now  reached, 
down  to  the  present  time,  there  are  many  circumstances 
of  deep  and  abiding  interest  clustering  around  this 
church.  I  am  strongly  tempted  onward  in  this  sketch 
of  its  progress  by  tender  recollections  of  the  two  holy 
and  beloved  men  who  since  that  date  have  laboured 
here  as  pastors,  and  who  are  now  gone  from  us ;  one  to 

*  See  Life  of  Dr.  Ashbel  Green.  Appendix 

I  Among  those  gathered  into  the  church  at  this  season  of  revival  were  the  fol- 
lowing— the  Rev.  John  Johns,  D.D.,  Prot,  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Virginia ;  the 
Rev.  Charles  Hodge,  D.D,,  Professor  in  Princeton  Theological  Seminary ;  the 
Rev.  James  V.  Henry,  formerly  of  Sing-Sing,  N.  Y. ;  the  Rev.  Symmes  C.  Henrj', 
of  Cranbury ;  the  Rev.  Ravaud  K.  Rodgers,  of  Bound  Brook ;  the  Rev.  John 
Goldsmith,  D.D.,  of  Newtown,  Long  Island ;  the  lamented  Rev.  William  J.  Arm- 
strong, D.  D. ,  late  Secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  for  Foreign  Missions ;  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam James  of  Albany;  the  Rev.  Charles  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.D.,  Prot.  Epis.  Bishop 
of  Ohio;  the  Rev.  John  Maclean,  D.D.,  Vice  President  of  the  College  of  New 
Jersey ;  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Ogden,  formerly  of  Pennington ;  the  Rev.  David 
Magie,  D.D.,  of  Elizabethtown ;  the  Rev.  Charles  C.  Beatty,  D.D.,  of  Steuben- 
Tille,  Ohio ;  and  many  others,  since  well  known  as  clergymen  or  laymen. 


63 

his  heavenly  reward,*  the  other  to  a  distant  charge  ;f  by 
several  revivals  of  peculiar  interest  to  a  large  portion  of 
the  present  congregation;  by  the  long  and  arduous 
struggles  in  its  temporal  affairs  which  have  been  nobly 
and  perseveringly  encountered ;  as  well  as  by  other  cir- 
cumstances in  its  history  not  known  to  some  of  3^ou,  and 
yet  well  worth  preserving  from  oblivion.  But  1  forbear. 
I  have  already  far  exceeded  the  limits  originally  marked 
out  for  this  narrative  of  the  way  by  which  "  the  Lord 
our  God  has  led  us,"  and  I  reluctantly  pause  at  this 
point  in  the  history  of  this  church.  I  do  this,  however, 
with  the  less  regret,  because  conscious  that  we  have 
come  down  to  a  point  to  wluch  the  memories  of  a  large 
number  of  my  hearers  can  reach  back.  J 

I  should  deem  myself  as  having  failed  however,  in 
making  this  service  appropriate  to  this  occasion,  did  I 
not  beg  your  attention  for  a  few  minutes  longer, — long 
and  kindly  as  it  has  been  already  given — whilst  I  en- 
deavour as  briefly  as  possible,  to  bring  to  your  notice  a 


*  The  Rev.  George  SpafFord  Woodhull  died  at  Middletown  Point  N.  J  Dec 
25th,  1834. 

f  Rev.  Benjamin  H.  Rice  D.D.,  now  Pastor  of  the  College  Church  at  Prince 
Edward  Court  House,  Va. 

X  There  are  a  few  dates  which  it  may  be  well  to  preserve  in  this  connexion. 

Rev.  George  S.  AVoodhuU  was  installed  as  pastor  .July  5th,  1820.  The  Rev. 
John  Woodhull,  D.D.  presided;  Rev.  Isaac  V,  Brown  preached  the  sermon;  Rev. 
A.  Alexander,  D.D.  gave  the  charge  to  the  minister;  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Miller 
D.D.  the  charge  to  the  people.  Mr.  Woodhull  was  released  from  his  charge  by 
the  Presbytery,  October  1,  1832. 

Rev.  Benjamin  H.  Rice,  D.D.  was  installed  pastor  August  15,  1833.  The  Rev. 
Symmes  C.  Henry  preached  the  sermon;  Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  D.D.  gave  the 
charge  to  the  minister;  Rev.  James  Carnahan,  D.D.  gave  the  charge  to  the  peo- 
ple. Dr.  Rice  was  released  from  his  pastoral  charge  by  the  Presbytery,  April 
28th,  1847. 

The  house  of  worship  was  a  second  time  wholly  destroyed  by  fire,  on  the  6th 
day  of  July,  1835.  The  congregation  worshipped  in  the  Seminary  Chapel  until 
it  was  rebuilt. 

The  present  pastor  was  installed  May  7th,  1848.  The  Rev.  Archibald  Alexan- 
der, D.D.  presided;  Rev.  Symmes  C.  Henry  preached  the  sermon;  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Miller,  D.D.  gave  the  charge  to  the  pastor;  and  the  Rev.  James  Caroa- 
ban,  D.D.  gave  the  charge  to  the  people. 


64 

little  more  distinctly,  a  very  few  of  the  many  causes  for 
thankfulness  visible  in  our  past  and  in  our  present,  as 
a  church. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  then,  I  think  we  should  as  a 
congregation,  be  peculiarly  thankful  to-day,  for  the  good- 
ness of  God  as  exhibited  in  the  ordei^ing  of  oar  temporal 
affairs.  It  is  rarely  indeed  that  any  church  is  made  to 
lift  burdens  so  heavy  and  so  numerous,  according  to  its 
strength,  as  those  which  God  has  over  and  over  laid  on 
this.  With  much  less  wealth  than  most  congregations 
of  its  size,  it  has  endured  severe  and  repeated  prov- 
idential losses,  and  in  consequence  a  constant  pecu- 
niary struggle.  Within  less  than  ninety  years,  it  has 
been  called  three  times  to  the  work  of  erecting  an  en- 
tirely new  edifice,  and  a  fourth  time  to  do  almost  as 
much  after  the  church  had  been  dismantled  by  the  rev- 
olutionary soldiery.  Add  to  this  the  current  expenses 
of  the  church,  and  those  which  frequently  and  necessa- 
rily arise  from  the  decay  and  wear  of  years,  and  it  no 
longer  seems  a  wonder  that  it  has  at  no  time  been  whol- 
ly free  from  pecuniary  obligations.  May  not  a  reason 
for  this  be  found  perhaps,  in  the  greatness  of  our  other 
and  more  valuable  blessings  ?  May  not  a  heart-search- 
ing God  have  seen  that  there  was  danger,  if  our  pecuni- 
ary resources  had  been  made  to  correspond  in  extent 
with  our  literary,  our  social,  or  our  spiritual  blessings, 
of  our  being  lifted  up  to  say  proudly  and  self-sufficiently 
"  We  are  rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  and  have  need 
of  nothing  ?"  It  is  however  an  interesting  fact,  and  one 
which  claims  our  gratitude  to-day,  learned  by  a  some- 
what careful  examination  of  our  records,  that  at  no  time 
xince  the  laying  of  the  first  corner-stone  in  the  summer 
q/*  1762    has  the  church   been  so  nearly  free  from  debt 


65 

(^s  it  tills  day  w.  For  by  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the 
wise  and  prudent  management  of  those  who  now  have 
charge  of  its  temporal  affairs,  together  with  the  gener- 
ous benefactions,  of  some  on  whose  liberality  we,  as  a 
congregation,  possessed  no  claim,  the  entire  amount  of 
all  that  can  be  called  our  church  debt,  is  to-day  lees 
than  the  trifling  sum  of  ninety  dollars. 

II.  In  the  second  place,  we  have  reason  to  bless 
God  as  a  church,  for  the  able  miimtry  under  which,  in 
days  past,  he  permitted  this  congregation  so  long  to  sit. 
It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say,  my  hearers,  that  probably 
no  congregation  on  the  American  continent,  has  within 
the  last  hundred  years,  enjoyed  a  greater  variety  and 
abundance  of  choicer,  more  scriptural,  or  more  spiritual 
preaching  than  this  very  one.  Truly  it  has  been  ex- 
alted to  heaven  in  point  of  privilege.  May  it  never  be 
proportionately  cast  down.  From  the  lips  of  the  long 
line  of  Presidents,  Professors,  and  Pastors,  who  have  at 
various  times  and  in  various  measures  broken  the  bread 
of  life,  how  vast  an  amount  of  delightful  and  invaluar 
ble  religious  instruction  has  been  communicated  to  you, 
not  only  in  a  direct  manner,  but  through  those  parents 
and  christian  friends  who  have  gone  before  you  to  the 
eternal  world.  Let  us  not  forget  the  load  of  solemn 
responsibility,  which  rests  in  consequence  upon  us,  and 
let  us  no  less  be  careful  to  pour  out  our  hearts  in 
thanksgiving  unto  God,  for  having  placed  us,  and  those 
who  have  influenced  us  and  guided  our  lives,  under 
so  bright  and  blessed  a  blaze  of  sanctuary  light. 

III.  In  the   third  place   we  have  cause   for   large 

thanksgiving   hecause   of  tlw  measure  in  which  God,  in 

sovereign    mercy,   hcos    Jiere    accompankd   the    means    of 

grace  hy  the  jpoiuer  of  his  Holy  Spirit.     As  no  recorda 

5 


66 

of  such  matters  appear  to  have  been  kept  prior  to  the 
year  1792,  we  have  no  means  of  knowing,  how  many 
persons  here  confessed  their  faith  previously  to  that  time. 
Within  the  fifty-eight  years  since  that  date,  the  number 
of  persons  who  have  united  with  this  church  has  been 
(me  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty,  of  whom  four  hun- 
dred and  tweniy-tliree  were  received  by  certificate,  and  the 
remaining  niyie  hundred  and  seven  by  profession  of 
their  faith.  It  is  certain  that  had  we  a  record  from 
the  first  gathering  of  the  congregation,  the  number 
would  be  several  hundreds  larger.  Within  ninety-four 
years  since  the  regular  preaching  of  the  Gospel  was  begun 
here  we  have  certain  information  of  nine  marlted  revivah 
of  religion,  several  of  them  of  extraordinary  extensive- 
ness  and  power.  Many  who  now  hear  my  voice  cannot, 
and  through  all  eternity  will  not  forget,  how  graciously 
God  has  poured  out  his  Holy  Spirit  among  us  this  very 
year,  and  brought  eijhfy-fwo  souls  to  hope  and  profess 
their  faith  in  the  blood  of  the  Redeemer.  And  all  along 
the  history  of  the  church  there  has  been  no  period  of 
any  considerable  length  in  which  God  has  not  in  the 
cases  of  individuals  and  of  small  numbers  been  con- 
stantly giving  proof  of  his  regenerating  and  merciful 
presence  in  its  midst.  But  it  is  not  only  in  the 
converting  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  he  has 
dwelt  among  us.  He  has  also  imparted  to  his  preached 
Gospel  a  sanctifying,  a  comforting,  and  a  supporting 
power.  Oh !  were  it  in  my  power  to-day,  my  hearers, 
to  call  up  to  your  view  even  a  few  of  the  instances  in 
which  God  has  here  met  and  communed  tenderly  with 
believers  in  days  gone  by — could  I  reveal  to  you  how 
sweetly  he  has  often  poured  the  balm  of  consolation 
into  the  wounded  heart — could  I  bring  to  view  some 


67 

of  the  many,  many,  peaceful  and  even  triumphant 
death-scenes  through  which  b;ilievers  who  once  occupied 
the  phices  you  now  fill,  and  who  in  many  cases  were 
your  own  ancestors  and  relatives — passed  hence  to 
glory,  3'ou  could  not  help  to-day  sending  up  a  gushing 
tribute  of  thanksgiving  unto  God,  that  he  planted  here 
a  church  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  he  has  so  richly 
given  his  blessed  Spirit  to  accompany  therein  the  min- 
istrations of  the  everlasting  word. 

IV.  In  the  fourth  place,  a  review  of  the  records  of 
this  church,  is  sufficient  to  impress  any  person  power- 
fully with  the  conviction  that  Qjd  has  hsre  faithfully 
remQmhered  his  covenant  with  believing  parents..  Most 
literally  and  truly  has  he  shown  among  us  that  "  his 
righteousness  is  unto  child cen's  children,  to  such  as 
keep  his  covenants,  and  to  those  that  remember  his 
commandments  to  do  them."  By  far  the  larger  pon- 
tion  of  those  among  the  present  members  of  this  church 
who  are  natives  of  this  town,  now  sit  at  the  same 
communion-table  where  one  or  both  of  their  parents  sat 
before  them,  and  where  they  lifted  their  hearts  in 
prayer  for  the  conversion  of  their  children.  There  are 
not  a  few  among  them  whose  parents'  parents  here 
commemorated  a  Saviour's  dying  love ;  and  I  could 
name  more  than  one  whose  ancestors  for  three  or  even 
four  generations  back,  are  known  to  have  been  com- 
muning members  of  this  church.  Blessed  heir-loom ! 
Incomparably  glorious  lineage  !  Let  the  children  of  such 
parents  see  to  it  that  they  despise  not  their  birthright 
in  the  house  of  God.  Let  parents  take  by  faith  a  firm- 
er hold  on  Goi's  unchanging  covenant.  And  let  us  all 
to-day,  bless  his  holy  name,  that  notwithstanding  all 
the  sinful  unbalief  and-short  comings  of  his  people,  he 


68 

has  given  us  such  blessed  evidence  that  he  is  a  cov- 
enant-keeping God. 

V.  In  the  last  place,  it  may  well  be  deemed  a  sub- 
ject for  thanksgiving  to-day,  that  God  has  deigned  to 
use  this  dmrch  to  an  unusual  degree  in  promoting  his 
cause  and  kingdom  in  the  world.  Independently  of  the 
very  large  number  of  those  who  have  temporarily 
united  with  it  by  certificate,  after  they  had  set  their 
faces  towards  the  ministry ;  it  has  pleased  God  from 
among  those  who  are  enrolled  as  having  entered  into 
membership  by  a  first  profession  of  their  faith,  to  raise 
up  sixty-three  ambassadors  for  Christ.  Of  these  the  larger 
portion  still  survive,  and  in  every  part  of  the  Union, 
and  some  even  in  heathen  lands,  are  toiling,  not  unsuc- 
cessfully, for  the  promotion  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 
Some  are  labouring  in  the  highest  and  most  responsible 
positions  in  the  church,  and  some  are  carrying  the 
Gospel  news  to  the  poor  and  ignorant  in  the  remote 
corners  and  waste  places  of  Zion.  Did  our  records  go 
back  to  the  first  gathering  of  the  congregation,  this 
number  would  doubtless  be  considerably  greater  than 
that  which  has  been  named. 

Besides  these  living  messengers  of  God,  many  im- 
portant influences  have  hence  gone  forth  to  aid  in 
building  up  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  1811  a 
meeting  was  held  in  the  church  edifice  which  then 
stood  upon  this  very  spot ;  a  meeting  composed  chiefly 
of  those  who  were  then  members  of  this  congregation. 
Out  of  that  meeting  grew  the  New  Jersey  Bible  Society^ 
which  was,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Bible  Society,  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  in 
America.  The  active  usefulness  of  this  Society  was 
afterwards  widely  felt,  not  only  throughout  our  own 


69 

state,  but  through  other  states ;  throuprh  the  Sandwich 
Islands ;  and  unto  even  remoter   heathen   lands.      In 
the  year  181G  the  first  Colonization  meeting  ever  held, 
was  also  held  upon  this  spot.     It  was  composed  in  great 
part  of  the  resident  Professors  and  a  few  prominent  lay 
members  of  the  congregation.      At  that  meeting  was 
given    the    first   impulse    to   that   noble   cause   which 
has  already  planted  an  independent  and  a  flourishing 
Republic  like  a  bright  gem  on  Africa's  dark  bosom,  and 
which  now  promises,  by  divine  aid,  to  scatter  the  thick 
darkness,  which  as  a  funeral  pall,  has  been  spread  over 
her  for  so  many  ages.     Dr.  Robert  Finley,  the  zealous 
originator  of  tlie  Colonization  scheme   in   its   present 
form,  was  the  son  of  an  aged,  devout,  and  faithful  elder 
of  this  church,  and  was  himself  here  trained  up  and 
converted   unto  God.     I  hope  it  will  not  be  considered 
as  passing  the  limits  of  propriety  or  delicacy  for  me  to 
add    also,  that    the    gallant   and    distinguished   naval 
officer  by  whose  daring  genius  and  sagacious  intrepidity 
the  first  portion  of  African   territory  was   secured  in 
treaty,  was  reared  in  this  congregation,  by  a  mother 
who  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  one  of  its  most  pi- 
ous  members    and   its  brightest   ornaments.      Hardly 
a  year  has  passed  in  which  some  pure  and  refreshing 
rills  of  christian  charity  and  effort  have  not  hence  flowed 
forth.     To  speak  of  these  in  detail  is  of  course  impossi- 
ble.    Permit  me  to  add  this  fact,  that  when  labouring 
some  years  ago,  in  that  great  moral  waste,  the  Pines  of 
New  Jersey,  1   more  than   once  crossed  the  track  of 
former  pastors  and  other  resident  clergymen  of  Prince- 
ton, who  thirty,  forty,  and  fifty  years  ago,  had  itinerated 
there,  having  gone   down,  with    a  christian   zeal   and 
compassion  which  ought  not  to  be  forgotten,  from  this 


70- 

mount  of  religious  privilege,  to  preach  the  glad  news  of 
salvation  to  those  who  sat  in  comparative  ignorance  and 
poverty.  And  more  than  once  in  later  years,  has  this 
church  been  permitted  to  send  out  and  sustain  by  its 
contributions,  teachers,  colporteurs,  and  evangelists  in 
the  waste  places  of  Zion.  Although  too,  its  means  have 
never  been  abundant,  it  has  never  denied,  or  grudgingly 
bestowed  its  benefactions  for  any  cause  that  seemed 
judicious,  timely,  and  well-adapted  to  promote  the  cause 
of  the  Redeemer.  These  things  are  not  mentioned,  I 
pray  you  to  remember,  with  a  view  to  excite  any  self- 
complacency  respecting  our  past  works  as  a  church. 
Far  from  it.  We  have  been  far  from  doing  all  we  could ; 
far  from  doing  all  we  should  have  done.  As  in  the 
sight  of  God,  we  have  only  cause  for  shame  and  confu- 
sion of  face  at  our  past  unprofitableness.  But  they  are 
mentioned,  in  order  that  we  may  not  undervalue  the 
goodness  of  God,  and  the  undeserved  honour  he  has  put 
upon  us  as  a  church,  in  making  use  of  us  to  accomplish 
such  things  for  the  glory  of  his  name.  They  are 
mentioned  in  order  that  we  may  to-day  be  made  more 
sensible  of  the  weight  of  obligation  which  rests  upon  us, 
to  bow  down  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  High,  and 
offer  praises  and  thanksgivings  unto  Him  for  ever  and 
ever. 

I  have  detained  you  for  a  length  of  time  which  I  fear 
may  seem  to  some  of  you  altogether  inexcusable.  To^ 
such  I  can  only  offer  in  extenuation  of  the  fault,  the 
nature  of  the  subject,  and  the  extreme  difficulty  of  com- 
pressing without  making  it  imperfect.  To  some  it  may 
seem  also,  as  if  your  minds  had  been  diverted  from  the 
range  of  topics  suited  to  an  occasion  like  the  present- 
Let  me  trust,  however,  that  you  will  be  none  the  more 


71 

forgetful  of  your  ten  thousand  other  blessings,  because 
one  particular  class  of  them  has  been  singled  out,  and 
brought  in  review  before  your  minds.     Let  me  trust 
that  your  emotions  of  thanksgiving  will  be  none  the 
less  deep,  because  your  minds  have  been  taken  off  from 
a  generality,  which  by  its  very  greatness,  confuses  and 
obstructs  the  action  of  the  mind,  and  directed  to  this 
single  point  in  God's  boundless  goodness  :  his  preparing 
for    you   a  church,   and  bestowing    sanctuary  mercies 
such    as  you    constantly  and   peacefully  enjoy.     And 
while  you  consider  through  how  long  a  course  of  years, 
and  by  what  a  providential  train  of  events,  God  has 
caused  those  who  went  before  you  to  hand  this  church 
down  to  us,  may  we  each  and  all  be  aroused  to  a  renew- 
ed anxiety,  and  to  an  increased  fidelity  in  our  exertions, 
to  pass  it  down  to  the  generations  that  shall  soon  follow 
us,  in  such  condition,  that  it  may,  by  God's  help,  be 
more  than  ever  useful  in  helping  forward  the  glory  of 
the  latter  day. 


APPENDIX. 


A. 


The  origin  of  the  name  of  Princeton,  seems  to  have 
been  lost  sight  of  altogether  for  many  years.  The  fol- 
lowing facts,  ascertained  after  much  and  laborious  in- 
quiry, seem  to  lay  the  matter  entirely  at  rest. 

Until,  and  a  little  after  the  year   1700,   under  the 
name  of  Stony  Brook  was  designated  the  whole  district 
lymg  on  the  north  side  of  that  brook   as  far  down  as 
where  it  empties  into  the  Millstone.     In  some  of  the 
oldest  records,  persons  who  are  known  to  have  lived  on 
the  spot  now  called  Princeton,  are  spoken  of  as  living 
at  Stony  Brook.     On   the  11th  day  of  March,  A.  D. 
1711,  "  Tliomas  Leonard  of  Stmy  Brook;'  executed   a 
deed  for  200  acres  of  land  to  "  Henry  Prince  of  Pi.scata- 
wayr     The  consideration  or  purchase-money  named  in 
the  ^deed  was  £70.     This  land  is  described  as  being 
bounded  by  lands  of  Thomas  Leonard,  Samuel  Hornor, 
and  John  Stockton.     This  deed  was  some  time  since 
discovered   in   the  Office  of  the   Secretary  of  State  in 
Trenton,  by  Edward  Armstrong,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia, 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  my  first  information  respect- 
ing it.     It  is  perhaps  not  possible  now,  to  locate  very 
exactly  the  tract  of  land   described.     It  evidently  lay 
on  the  north    side   of  the  main   street,   and  probably 
bounded  the  street  from  a  point  somewhere  near  the 


74 

drug  store  of  Mr.  James  Van  Deventer,  for  the  distance 
of  eighteen  chains  towards  Queenston,  The  presump- 
tion is,  that  while  Prince  owned  this  piece  of  land,  sev- 
eral buildings  were  erected  on  it.  Certain  it  is,  that  it 
was  from  that  time  called  ^^ Princes  Toivn'  under  which 
form  we  find  it  spoken  of  in  old  documents  and  records 
until  very  near  the  year  1740,  when  it  became  "  Princ&- 
town,"  and  not  many  years  after  very  generally  received 
the  more  euphonious  name  of  Princeton.  Putting  all 
these  circumstances  together  it  seems  no  longer  capable 
of  being  disputed,  that  our  ancient  seat  of  learning  re- 
ceived its  name,  not  from  "  "William,  Prince  of  Orange,'* 
as  some  have  supposed,  but  from  "  Henry  Prince,  of 

PlSCATAWAY." 


75 


B. 

The  following  Lists  of  the  Elders  and  Trustees  of  the 
Church  will  not  be  without  interest  to  many. 
A  List  of  all  the  Elders  of  Princeton  (First)  Church. 


Names. 
Richard  Longstrect, 
James  Hamilton, 
Thomas  Blackwell, 
John  Johnson, 
Isaac  Snowden, 
Daniel  Agnew, 
Thomas  Wiggins,  M.  D., 
James  Finley,  (Sen.) 
Prof.  Williiim  Thompson, 
John  Van  Cleve,  M.  D.. 
Peter  Updike, 
Capt.  James  Moore, 
ZebuloD  Morford, 
Francis  D.  Janvier, 
Samuel  Bayard, 
John  Davison, 
John  S.  Wilson, 
Ralph  Lane, 
Prof.  Robert  B.  Patton, 
John  C.  Schenck, 
John  Lowrey, 
Jacob  Lane, 
Robert  Voorhees, 
Daniel  Bowne, 
Prof.  Stephen  Alexander, 
John  V.  Talraage, 
Isaac  Baker, 
Joseph  H.  Davis, 


Elected. 
Feb.  21,  1786, 
Feb.  21,  1786, 
Feb.  21,  1786, 
Feb.  21,  1786, 
Jan,  13,  1796, 
Jan.  13,  1796, 
March  3,  179C, 
March  3,  1792, 

1805, 

1805, 

1805. 

1807, 

1807, 

1807, 

1807, 

1807, 
March  31,  1821, 
March  31,  1821, 
Dec.  29,  1826, 
Dec.  29,  1826, 
July  14,  18.26, 
July  14,  1826, 
April  27,1835, 
April  27, 1835, 
August,  1840, 
August,  1840, 
June  25,  1845. 
June  25,  1846 


Ceased  from  office. 
Died  about  1797. 
Died  1815. 
Died  Oct.  20,  1825. 
Died  Oct.  IG,  1800, 
Removed  from  Princeton. 
Died. 

Died  Nov.  14,  1804. 
Removed  to  Basking  Ridge. 
Died  1813. 
Died  Dec.  24,  1826. 
Died  Juno  18,  1818. 
Died  Nov.  29,  1832. 
Died  April  2,  1841. 
Died  March  1,  1824, 
Died  May  12,  1840. 
Removed  from  Princeton. 
Died  Oct.  11,  1836. 

Removed,  1835. 
Died  June  25,  1846. 
Died,  Jan.  19, 1845. 

Died,  June  18,  1838. 


Removed  to  N.  York,  1844. 
Removed  to  N.  York,  1848- 


76 


C 


List  of  the  Trustees  of  Princeton  {First)  Ohurch. 


Names. 

Richard  Longstreet, 

Robert  Stockton, 

Capt.  John  Little, 

Enos  Kelsey, 

Capt.  James  Moore, 

Isaac  Anderson, 

Col.  William  Scudder, 

James  Hamilton, 

Thomas  Wiggins,  M.  D. 

John  Harrison, 

Col.  Erkurius  Beatty, 

Richai'd  Stockton,  L.L.  D., 

Ebenezer  Stockton,  M.  J)., 

Samuel  Bayard,  Esq., 

Robert  Voorhees, 

John  Van  Cleve,  M.  D., 

John  C.  Schenck, 

John  S.  Wilson, 

James  S.  Green,  Esq., 

John  Gulick, 

Charles  M.  Campbell, 

Peter  Bogart, 

Thomas  White, 

Henry  Clow, 

John  Van  Doren, 

John  Lowrey, 

Alfred  A.  Woodhull,  M.  D, 

William  R.  Murphy, 

George  M.  Maclean,  M.  D. 

James  Van  Deventer, 


Elected. 

May  25,  1786, 
May  26,  1786, 
May  25,  1786, 
May  25,  1786, 
May  25,  1786, 
May  25,  1786, 
May  25,  1786, 
May  20,  1793, 
Nov.  15,  1794, 
Jan.  13,  1796, 
Feb.  20,  1804, 
Jan.  2,  1805, 
Sept.  10,1805, 
Dec.  15,1807, 
Nov.  25,  1815, 
Dec.  7, 1816, 
July  26,  1823, 
Jan.  9,  1826, 
Jan.  9,  1826, 
Jan.  9,  1826, 
Sept.  5,  1831, 
Sept.  5,  1831, 
Sept.  5,  1831, 
Sept.  5,  1831, 
Jan.  14,  1834, 
Oct.  8,  1835, 

,  Oct.  8,  1835, 
Oct.  8,  1835, 

,  Oct.  8,  1836, 
Oct.  8,  1836, 


Ceased  from  Office. 

Died  about  1797. 
Died,  April  23,  1805. 
Died,  Sept.  6,  1794. 
Resigned,  1804. 
Resigned,  Sept.  5,  1831, 
Died,  1807 
Died,  1793. 
Died,  1815. 
Died,  Nov.  14,  1804, 
Died,  Oct.  26,  1816. 
Died,  Feb.  3,  1823. 
Died,  March  7,  1828. 
Resigned  Oct,  29,  1835. 
Resigned,  May  7,  1838, 
Resigned,  Feb.  11,  1837. 
Resigned,  Oct.  29,  1823. 
Resigned,  Sept.  5,  1831. 
Resigned,  Sept.  5,  1831, 
Resigned,  Sept.  5,  1831. 
Resigned,  Sept.  5,  1831. 
Resigned,  1835. 
Resigned,  Sept.  3,  1832. 
Resigned,  .luly  27,  1837. 
Resigned,  1833. 
Resigned,  June  24,  1839. 
Resigned,  ]836. 
Died  Oct.  5,  1836. 
Resigned  Oct.  8,  1836. 
Resigned,  Dec.  3,  1838 
Resigned,  Aug.  3,  1846. 


77 


Prof.  Albert  B.  Dod.  D.D.. 

K.  C.  Wiiios, 

Samuel  A.Ltiwrence, 

David  N.  Bognrt,  Esq., 

Alexander  M.  Cuniming. 

R.  R.  Ross, 

John  Bogart, 

George  T.  Olmsted, 

A.  J.  Dumont, 

John  Davison, 

Philip  Hendrickson. 

Peter  I.  Voorhees, 

Capt.  Thos.  Crabbc,  U.  S.  N; 

Prof.  Joseph  Henry,  L.L.  D 

J.  S.  Schanck,  M.  D., 

Joseph  H.  Davis, 

William  Gulick, 

John  T.  Robinson, 

N.  L.  Berrien, 

Peter  V.  Degniw, 

John  F.  Hageman,  Esq., 

A.  Van  Duyn, 

laaac  Baker, 


Oct.  8.  18.36, 
Feb.  22,  1837, 
Aug.  5,  1837, 
May  7,  1838, 
May  7,  1838, 
Jan. 17,  1839, 
Jan.  17,  1839, 
June  24,  1839, 
March  29,  1842, 
Feb.  12,  1843, 
Feb.  12,  1843, 
July  1,  1843, 

,  Dec.  22,  1845, 

,  July  30,  184G, 
July  30,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 
Aug,  3,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 
Aug.  3,  1846, 

Feb.  12,  1849, 


Died  Nov.  19,  1845. 
Resigned  May  7,  1838. 
Resigned  Doc.  3,  1838. 
Died  May  5,  1844. 
Resigned  Aug.  3,  1846. 
Resigned  Feb   12,  1844. 
Resigned  March  29,  1842 
Resigned  July  10.1846, 
Resigned  Feb.   12,  1843. 
Resigned  Aug.  3,  1846, 
Resigned  July  9,  1846. 
Resigned  Aug.  3,  1846. 

Resigned  July  25,^1848. 

Resigned  Feb,  12,  1849. 

Resigned  July  25,  1848. 
Died  Aug,  10,  1846. 


78 


D. 


The  present  officers  of  the  church  are : 

Pastor. 

WILLIAM  EDWARD  SCIIENCK. 
Ruling  Elders. 

RALPH  LANE, 

JACOB  W.  LANS, 

DANIEL  BOWNE, 

PROF.  STEPHEN  ALEXANDER. 

ISAAC  BAKER. 

Trustees, 
J.  S.  SCHANCK,  M.D.,  President, 
WILLIAM  GULICK, 
CAPT.  THOMAS  CRABBE,  D.  S.  N., 
P.  V.  DEGEAW, 
JOHN  F.  HAGEMAN,  ESQ., 
A.  VANDUYN, 
ISAAC  BAKER. 

Treasurer, 
JAMES  S.  GREEN.  ESQ. 


«-;| 


Date  Due 


m 

ii 
1 


